Conundrum
by KA-336
Summary: After recieving a letter that says that he's a wizard, Allen becomes fast friends with Harry Potter and a few other strangers that Allen will say that feel more familiar to him than he cares to admit. The years at Hogwarts to come is going to be far more rocky than he expected. And not because of Potter. He has his own role to play.
1. Chapter I (vers 1)

_**So... Had this sitting in my drafts for a couple of months... I got tired of seeing it but didn't yet want to delete it. So here it is ^_^. Ha... haha... ha...**_

 _ **Curse me and my need for experimentation. Also got some surprises for ya'll.**_

* * *

 _"Get_ out of my way, Walker."

"Tom...you don't need to do this. You don't need to do any of this."

"My name is Voldemort. And if you don't get out of my way, I'll kill you."

"I refuse."

"Very well. Goodbye, Professor."

 _"Allen!"_

* * *

Meredith was a beautiful woman. Anyone could attest to that. Her dark locks curled down her back with some bangs framing her porcelain face. Her irises were a warm chocolate brown that, currently, was filled with exhaustion.

Yes, beautiful indeed. It was a wonder as to why she was even a nun that ran an exclusive orphanage in London. Perhaps it's because she loves children. And, of course, her religion. But right now, what she would really love...

Is some sleep.

With a sigh parting from her lips, Meredith set her pen down on the desk and sat back in her chair. A simple lamplight was all that could illuminate her study. A lamplight and, of course, the light of the full moon.

October was abnormally chilly this time of year...

A loud series of knocks interrupted the young woman from her thoughts. Wondering who else besides herself would be up this late, Meredith got out of her seat, straightened her night gown, and made her way into the halls. St. Vincent's Orphanage was made long ago in the Victorian Era and the walls of the building certainly broadcasted that knowledge. The old wallpaper had been carefully taken care of throughout the ages, replaced with careful hands should it tear.

The knocks persisted once more. It only grew silent when she approached the dark, heavy double doors and pulled one open with some effort. She wasn't quite sure what she was expecting outside the door. A person, perhaps. Someone who had more bills for the Orphanage that they just so happened to hand out in the midst of the night. Meredith should have expected something more average. A little less original.

Like a small baby, one or two years of age perhaps, in a basket left sitting on the doorstep.

Meredith sighed and knelt in front of the basket to look at the child. She nearly gasp and fell away when she saw what was inside.

St. Vincent's got lots of kids. Some kind, some rude, some strange. This one had to be the strangest by far.

The child, a boy if she had to guess, looked up at her with the most beautiful eyes she's ever seen. A silvery-gray. It didn't seem bothered by the coldness of the air. In fact, it seemed rather peaceful. More often than not, the toddlers they recieved at this time of night would be bawling at the newness of their enviroment. This one looked rather curious. But that's not why she was startled.

This child, this poor, poor boy, had a scar marring the left side of his face. It was an angry red, starting at his forehead with a star beneath his shockingly white hair. A pentagram.

 _Occultists_ , she thought, gingerly reaching into the basket. She had heard of such a thing from other orphanages. That children of people who worship the Devil were taken in from their cultist families. It was a rarity. Most are rumoured to either die or grow up worst than the monsters that raised them.

The scar didn't look recent. And the boy himself barely weighed a thing as she picked him up. He was wrapped neatly in a bundle. As though someone had taken great care. The child made a faint noise as Meredith held him close and when he reached with his right arm, the blanket fell away and showed his left.

From the shoulder to the fingertips, the skin was blacker than night. Unnaturally smooth too. Whatever means, the child did not seem to possess the mobility to move it. Was it paralysed? Who on Earth would tattoo the arm of a child? And this green mark on the back of his hand. Is that a cross?

Whoever this boy's family was, they certainly had a conflict of interest on religion.

Wait, there's a note.

Making sure that the child was secured, Meredith knelt down to pick up note that was in the basket. Most times, these were left in an envelope. Perhaps the previous carer knew she would pick up the child first and saved the effort of opening it? Either way, she should probably read.

 _Miss Meredith McClaine,_

 _I humbly ask that you carefully oversee Allen Walker for the oncoming years. As I'm sure you can tell, he is not an ordinary child. I've been informed that his birthdate is on December 25th._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Albus Brian Wulfric Percival Dumbledore_

"His name's a mouthful, isn't it," Meredith asked, looking down at the child's eyes. Eyes that seemed as if they knew more than a kid his age should. "Come on then. I suppose I should be getting you to bed." She turned towards the door and smiled. "It's rather late for you to still be awake, Allen."

* * *

Allen Walker was a strange kid.

Because of the Satanic marking that marred his face, the other nuns around the Orphanage considered Allen to be the Devil's spawn. Meredith, on hand, thought that it was just the opposite. What if he was God's child? He was the sweetest and most polite kid she had ever come to known and she doubted that it came from her and the others raising him. There was also the factor of his paralysed hand, which didn't feel like what one would consider normal skin (it was too smooth. The cross on the back was also another puzzle to add), and the date of his birth. He had to be a Holy Child. The scar on his face was just that, a scar. Perhaps someone thought the same of him and tried to taint him with the Devil's mark. And his hair was as white as snow itself. Pure. If only she knew how a child could have a bundle of scars like the ones that marred his torso.

She stood by the doorway and watched the white-headed eleven-year old put distance between himself from the other children. It was always like this. Try as he might have, the children who had grown up hearing the other nuns comments isolated him.

Meredith frowned as she noticed Amyra giving Allen an evil eye before the nun's eyes caught sight of her Headmistress. Then she made a point to turn away. Meredith rolled her eyes at her fellow friend's actions before focusing on the boy.

"Allen," she called softly, her fingers clutching an envelope in her hand. The snowy-haired boy lifted his head and turned towards her with a carefully expectant expression. This child always surprised her with how much masks he had. With his many smiles that held many meanings. He certaintly hadn't been taught how to wear any of those. "Come over here."

He got up from the small space he was sitting at with a book in hand. Meredith pulled him into the hallway and held out the envelope. It was not a normal one, of that she was sure. This was the first time she had ever come across one that had the _exact_ location of its reciever. And Meredith was talking about bedroom location, bunk number, and the name of the child she was to look after.

"This is for you," she told Allen, holding out the envelope. She hadn't broken the seal on it. The child looked up at her before taking it in his right hand and, with her help, pulled out the thick paper.

 _Dear Mr. Walker,_

 _We are pleased to inform you that you have a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardy. Please find enclosed a list of all neccesary books and equipment._

 _Term begins on September 1st. We await your owl by no later than July 31st._

 _Yours sincerely,_

 _Minerva McGonagall_

 _Deputy Headmistress_

Allen lowered the letter and looked over at Meredith with suspicion clouding his shimmery irises. Magic. Of course, it was only fitting that the Child of God would be able to use such a thing.

"Is this real," he asked. Meredith smiled down at him gently.

"If it is, the strange occurances that happen around you would explain it. Here, let me see that list of yours."

Allen wordlessly handed her the envelope. Indeed, there was a list, full of strange things she knew she couldn't get at normal shops. There was also another letter inside addressed to Meredith.

 _Someone will arrive on July 31st to pick up Allen to get his supplies._

"I guess that settles it." She slipped the letters back into the envelope. "Go back to reading. I'll hold onto these for now."

Allen nodded and went back into the room.

* * *

Allen wasn't sure how he should be feeling. Excited, maybe? Nauseous? But he wasn't. Like everything in his life so far, he took everything in with a stride. The nuns calling him a Demon, the kids had their awful pranks. And now, wizards were apparently real.

It seems as though wizards would have the least amount of trouble.

Still, he noticed Meredith's surprise as he waited patiently beside the door with her. Then a knock sounded on the door. A long, heavy knock. She went to go open the door and held her free hand to her mouth as she grew a little more surprised.

"Is Allen here?" a voice asked. Male, by the deep and gruffyness of the tone. Meredith seemed to have regined her composure.

"Yes." She motioned over to Allen, who headed to her side the moment she moved. His eyes widened slightly, just slightly, when he noticed the tall burly man standing in front of the doorframe. And just a bit behind him, peeking curiously into the Orphanage, was a boy about his age with black hair and glasses. "I take it that you are the one who will be watching him?"

"Tha's righ'."

Meredith squared her shoulders and gave the large man what Allen had come to describe as the mother bear glare. Beautiful or not, Meredith looked like a woman to be feared. Even the large man squirmed where he stood beneath her gaze. The boy seemed to look equally as uncomfortable.

"You better take good care of this boy," she ordered, her glare not lightening up. "If he comes back with so much as one scratch, you'll have to answer to me. Is that understood?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Good." Meredith turned towards Allen. A small sigh of relief could be heard outside the door. "Now you be a good boy for this man. And stay safe."

Allen nodded and headed out the door. Meredith closed it softly behind him. Now alone with two strangers, Allen looked up at the giant of a man. Then he smiled politely and held out his right hand.

"My name is Allen Walker," he said. "But you already knew that, didn't you?"

The large man seemed to blubber and went about rubbing something from his eyes. "Always so nice ter me." He grabbed Allen's hand, his own grip practically encompassing the entirety of it before he proceeded to shake. "Rubeus Hagrid."

Allen quirked an eyebrow at his comment but eventually shrugged it aside as he released his grip. And there was the boy he had caught a glimpse of behind the door. Messy black hair, green almond-shaped eyes that peered from behind some round-shaped glasses. It had Scotch tape on the bridge of it. And just under his hairline, a scar could be seen. Giving the boy the same smile he had given Mr. Hagrid, Allen held out his hand to him. "And you are?"

"Er..." The boy took his hand. "Harry. Harry Potter."

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you both, Mr. Potter and Mr. Hagrid." Allen released his hand and walked down the stairs of the doorstep. "We should be going now."

"Righ'. C'mon, Harry."

The large man made his way down the steps with the black-haired boy behind him.

* * *

The walk to the Leaky Cauldron was mostly quiet. Hagrid kept giving glances at Allen but the boy pretended to not notice. The large man wasn't exactly _subtle_. Potter was also really quiet. For a moment.

"Do you know much about wizards," the boy asked. Allen looked over at him for a quick moment.

"No, Mr. Potter. I can't say that I do."

There was a slight pause.

"It's Harry."

"Pardon?" Allen turned his attention back on him. Potter hesitated for a brief moment.

"You can call me Harry. Mr. Potter... just doesn't feel right."

The white-headed boy stared at him for a few seconds. Then he smiled. "Very well, Harry. I'll call you by your first name if you give me the same consideration."

"...Alright."

"This is it," Hagrid finally said as he came to a halt. "The Leaky Cauldorn. It's a famous place."

Allen tilted his head as he took at what he was seeing. It was a small, grubby-looking pub. Entirely obtrusive between the stores it was squashed between. People who walked past looked past it as if it weren't even there.

 _Magic_ , he thought. It was the only logical conclusion he could come up with.

Hagrid then practically pushed the boys inside, not giving Allen more time to speculate over how non-magic folk cannot see the building. The collaboration of strange people looked over at the large man when the door opened and waved.

"The usual, Hagrid," asked the old bartender.

"Can't, Tom." Allen nearly faceplanted the ground as the large man placed a hand on his shoulder. He wasn't the only one. Pott- Harry seemed to be having the same trouble as well. "I'm on Hogwarts business."

The bartender (Tom was it?) directed his gaze at them. Or rather, Allen was grateful and rather guilty to say, at Harry. For once, no one was paying any attention to his hair and scar. A scar that he couldn't remember getting but recalled a lot of pain if he thought about it too hard.

"Good lord," went Tom. "Is this...? Can this be-?"

Allen and Harry glanced at each other as the pub went silent.

"Bless my soul. Harry Potter... what an honor."

Before Allen could process what was going on, Tom was out from behind the counter and shaking an astonished Harry's hand. Was he famous or something?

"Welcome back, Harry Potter. Welcome back."

And suddenly, the whole pub had sprang back to life, each moving over to Harry and shaking his hand with greeting. Allen stuck to the side, patiently awaiting until it was over. It had to be over... right? The same person kept getting back in line to shake Harry's hand again and again. And some trembling, stuttering man went up to greet them without bothering for a handshake. Allen heard Hagrid call him Professor Quirrel. He was suppose to be... What's Defense Against the Dark Arts?

During all of this commotion, a lady with a pipe in her hand turned towards Allen and froze. Her eyes went up to his hair down to his scar.

"It's you!" She exclaimed. Allen furrowed his brows as he stared at her. He didn't recall ever seeing her before. "Everyone, it A-"

"Must get on," Hagrid interrupted loudly. Too loud to be normal. "Lots ter buy. Come on yeh two."

Now that the attention on Harry lessoned as the boys followed the large man out the back of the pub, he could finally feel people's eyes land on him. Some whispered, others gasped. It wasn't an entirely positive air like Harry had. Allen decided that it would be best to just ignore it. Maybe it was because of his hair and scar. He was use to this sort of attention. Use to it but it didn't mean that he liked it.

"Told yeh, didn't I?" Hagrid practically beamed at Harry. "Told yeh you was famous. Even Professor Quirrel was tremblin' ter meet yeh- Mind you, he's usually tremblin'."

"That lady..." Allen frowned as both the large man and Harry looked over at him. "It seemed like she recognized me."

"Yeah." Hagrid suddenly looked nervous. "Don' worry 'bout it too much. Yeh just have one of 'em faces."

One of them faces?

The white-headed boy subconsciously raised his right hand to trace the bottom of his scar with a fingertip. How many people had that there? He doubted that it was a common thing.

 _Hagrid is lying._

"Three up... Two across." After giving either boy a warning, Hagrid tapped a brick and it moved, creating an archway to another street.

"Welcome to Daigon Alley," he told the boys, watching them with a grin as they stared with awe.

* * *

They were soon making their way down the cobbled streets. Harry was absolutely mesmerized by the various artifacts of the wizarding world. Allen smiled softly as he watched the ravenette constantly looking around. While Allen was in awe about the various items, they really didn't seem like too much a deal.

"Gringotts," Hagrid had said, breaking Harry and Allen from their observation. They had reached an ivory building. And beside those bronze doors dressed in red and gold was what Hagrid called a goblin. A creature with a dark, clever face and a small beard. As he bowed to the trio before entering, Allen was the only one to effectively bow back, surprising the smaller creature. There was a second set of doors inside. Silver. Words were etched onto them.

 _Enter, stranger, but take heed_

 _Of what awaits the Sin of Greed,_

 _For those who take, but do not earn_

 _Must pay most dearly in their turn._

 _So if you seek beneath our floors_

 _A treasure that was never yours,_

 _Thief, you have been warned, Beware_

 _Of finding more than treasure there._

 _That's rather cheery,_ the snowy-haired child thought before they passed those by and ended up in a marble hall. After a polite smile had deigned no reaction from more than five of the goblins, he stopped trying and wordlessly followed Hagrid to the counter.

"Morning. I came ter take money outta Mr. Harry Potter an' Mr. Allen Walker's safe?"

Allen never lifted his head up so fast.

He has a _safe_? In the wizard world? That was-!

That was actually pretty cool! He always did try saving his money. He counted it every night before bed and every morning after he awoke. Some of the other kids loved to try taking it while he slept.

As Allen was busy fantasizing about saving his money up in that vault, he followed Hagrid, Harry, and another goblin (he would later wonder how he got there) without paying much attention to anything. It wasn't until Allen had gotten into a cart with them that he was finally snapped out of his thoughts when it lurched forward.

 _At high speed._

The cart they were in went blazing through a series of tunnels. Right, left, right, right, it mattered not. It was a rather enjoyable ride though, the wind tearing the hair away from Allen's face. A familiar feeling of adrenaline coursed through his veins.

"I never know," Harry had spoken. Loudly so the other passengers could hear. "What's the difference between a stalagmite and a stalagtite?"

"A stalagmite rises from the ground," Allen called out almost immediately, observing how Hagrid and this ride didn't seem to get along well. "Stalagtites fall from the 'ceiling'."

They soon came to a stop. As Hagrid kept himself upright by leaning a hand on the wall, the goblin whose name Allen had yet to learn walked up to the vault door and opened it using the key. Both Harry and Allen gaped when they saw piles gold, stacks of silver, and some bronze coins.

"The gold ones are Galleons," Hargid informed them, both he and Allen grabbing some to fit into Harry's bag. "Seventeen Sickles to a Galleon and twenty-nine Knuts to a Sickle."

Which made it four-hundred nintey-three Knuts to make a Galleon. Allen concurs. Who made up such a horrible way to calculate currency?

Back through the cart they went, the giant of a man looking green once more as they took to the turns and swerves. The snow-headed child almost felt bad for him. Hagrid had four rides in all until they can reach the doors of Gringotts once more. Finally, they came to another vault. If Harry and Allen were amazed by the amount of gold the Potter family had, they were blown away by the Walker vault. Every gold, silver, and bronze had been precariously seperated into large, neat stacks. A paper stood at the end of each different color, counting the amount each type had.

Allen suspected that whoever this had belonged to before it ended up in his hands were quite the cheapskate.

And so he gathered money himself, shoving the gold, silver, and bronze into a pouch of his own before noticing the number on the cards changing from his withdrawel and also leaving the amount it had before a little off to the side. He had to guess that amount of his items and think of what else he might buy around the school terms. And then off they went to the last vault, Hagrid successfully relieving his lunch over the rail of the cart before they stopped and the large man retrieved a singular pouch from inside. The goblin didn't look pleased in the least.

Back out in the sunshine, Hagrid, Harry, and Allen were watching wizards and witches filter on by. He was a little disappointed to find the adrenaline leaking out of his system. If possible, he would spend half his Galleons on another ride.

"Might as well get yer uniform," said Hagrid after a while as he nodded toward Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. "Listen, yeh two, would yeh mind if I slipped off fer a pick-me-up in the Leaky Cauldron? I hate them Gringotts carts."

"Go ahead, Mr. Hagrid," Allen had said as Harry nodded. "We'll be there when you get back."

Left alone in a world they didn't know, both Harry and Allen hesitated as they looked up at the store sign. Allen didn't know what his partner's reasons were but he definitely knew his.

This was a tailors in a way, wasn't it? They would have to measure him? That means that they would know that Allen's left arm was paralysed. He didn't like it when people found out. Not in the least.

Harry moved first, breaking Allen from his thoughts. Sighing, the boy followed along. Inside, they were greeted by a smiling witch dressed in muave robes. They were also unlucky to come across a pale boy who radiated the aura of nobility and self-importance.

"What the bloody hell is wrong with your face," he demanded after talking to Harry for a while. Now his attention was turned to Allen as it was now his turn to be fit.

Allen merely smiled back at the boy despite his fist aching badly to hit him. "Wrong? Why nothing, nothing at all."

The boy had gone silent when Madam Malkin came over with a measuring tape.

"Now lift your arm," she ordered. Allen hesitated for a moment before leaning close to her ear so that the rude snob wouldn't be listening.

" _It's paralysed,_ " he responded. Then he pulled away with his gaze downcast.

"I see. Well that's certainly no problem. Here, let me..."

It was easy to say that Allen wanted nothing more than to be _out_ of there. Hagrid was at least nice enough to return with three cones of ice cream.

Afterwards, they went shopping for more things. Allen had to inform Hagrid about his...disability when he said that he couldn't gather the rest of the items with his other hand. Harry looked surprised too. Then there was a bit with this Curses and Countercurses that Harry was trying to buy and Hagrid nearly had to pull him away from. Smiling, Allen slid that book on top of the others he was to be getting. Then the large man was courteous enough to get them pets. Harry, for his birthday and Allen for...

Well, he didn't really know what for.

Anyways, Harry had ended up with a brilliant snowy owl. Really, she was a majestic bird. And Allen...

Let's just say that Hagrid pulled a small yellow ball with wings and a tail out from his pocket.

"Dumbledore told me teh give this to yeh. His name is Timcanpy."

The golden ball was _delighted_ when it saw(?) Allen, nearly barreling right into his face. When he had it (him?) in his hands, Allen stared at it with wide eyes.

"He likes yeh," Hagrid said proudly at the rather frozen boy. Allen wasn't sure but this thing was but...

 _Sniff._

Allen found himself rubbing away tears that tried to present itself in his eyes, effectively astounding his peers. He didn't know why he was crying, just that he _was._ And he was _so_ happy.

"Er, lets head over teh Ollivander's now," Hagrid finally broke in, looking rather uncomfortable. "Its teh only place fer wands."

Entering a small shop, the four of them (Timcanpy counts) were startled by the appearance of Ollivander. He gave them a greeting, Ollivander mentioning Harry's parents as well as what sort of wand they had. Allen furrowed his brows when he realized that the elderly man hadn't said anything to Allen or whether he sold wands to the parents Allen was always reminded that he didn't have.

An hour later and Harry was still trying out wands left and right before Ollivander _finally_ had given him one that worked. Then his eyes settled on Allen.

"Ah, I have just the wand for you, Mr. Walker," he said, _finally_ acknowledging his presence. "It's been quite a while, I tell you. Life hasn't been treating you as well as it should be."

Hagrid cleared his throat.

"Yes yes, I'm aware." Ollivander dug around some more before pulling out a black box and giving it to him. "Yew and horned serpent horn, twelve inches, reasonably supple. The core was brought to me itself since I normally don't work with it. Go on, Mr. Walker."

Allen took it hesitantly. Almost immediately as soon as his hand closed around it, the wand seemed to emit a vibrating hum in it's fingers as though meeting an old friend.

"That's it. Very good. I was a bit worried seeing that- Oh, never mind."

They soon left, Allen twirling his wand with a thoughtful frown on his face. Ollivander refused to accept seven Galleons from him while he took it from Harry with no problem.

 _"It's already been bought a long time,_ " he had said.

The Wizarding World was strange.

So after they walked around for a bit, the trio sat on bench while they ate. Allen gave pieces of bread to Timcanpy when he realized that the small thing loved to eat.

"Would it be alright if I called you Tim," he asked, tilting his head slightly as he avoided listening to Harry telling Hagrid of his insecurities. The small creature nodded and Allen felt himself smile. An _actual_ smile that was already so rare for him to make.

Afterwards, they were to leave. Harry had boarded himself up on a train and Hagrid kept Allen with him.

"Yer Headmistress is scary," was his reasoning. "I better get yeh home meself ter make sure yeh'll be alrigh'. Yeh better hold on ter me."

That was the only warning Allen had gotten (Timcanpy then hid himself in Allen's pocket) before he had the most unpleasant sensation in the world. Seconds after, he found himself standing in a daze in front of the Orphanage. Hagrid definitely made sure that he had stopped swaying before daring to knock on the door.

* * *

Allen found himself roaming platforms Nine and Ten with Meredith lingering worriedly by his side. His ticket _said_ Nine-and-Three Quarters. He _knows_ it had to be. Let's see... It had to be something that relied on magic, right? So all he had to do was think like a wizard.

Easier said than done.

"Allen," a familiar voice had asked. Turning around, he was relieved to see the familiar black haired boy.

"Harry." Allen showed him his ticket. "I can't find the platform."

"Neither can I." He scowled. "And my aunt and uncle just drove off as soon as I had gotten everything out of the car."

"Well that's not very nice," Meredith had come to say, the beautiful lady flashing a frown. Then she smiled softly at Harry. "You're the boy who was standing behind that man, weren't you? My name is Meredith. I'm Allen's guardian."

"Harry," the boy had responded quietly. "Do you know how to get to the platform?"

"I'm afraid not. I tried asking that guard over there but he gave me a pretty rude look." She shot a piercing glare hard enough at the man standing off to the side. He flinched violently before looking around, having obviously felt the effects of her stare. They stood there for a moment as Allen held his chin, obviously in thought.

"-packed with Muggles, of course-"

Both Allen and Harry raised their heads up, gray eyes meeting green before they shot to Meredith's confused brown ones.

"Muggles are a wizards term," Allen informed before they all began to converge on a family with distinctive flaming red hair. If it was just a bit darker then it would look like-

The thought was gone.

"Excuse me," went Harry as he spoke up.

"Hello, dear- _Oh_!" The woman had turned around to face him and positively gasped when she saw Allen. "Y-you..."

Allen let his gaze fall to the floor as he swallowed hard. Once more, it was about his scar, wasn't it? But then he felt a comforting hand fall on his shoulders and the mother bear was back.

"You?" Meredith asked, sounding as though she was awaiting a continuation. Allen had to marvel at how her tone was polite _and_ cold at the same time. He hadn't tried speaking to someone like that yet.

"I'm sorry! He just looks a little like someone I knew."

Allen raised an eyebrow with a little bit of skeptiscm being hidden behind his calm mask he carefully threw up.

"Anyways, you're looking for a way to get onto the platform, yes? Here, you just have to cross the barrier."

After one of the redheads made their way _through_ a wall, Allen and Meredith said their farewells, the former about to leave when his guardian pulled him into his arms.

"You be safe now," she whispered.

"I will," was what he said as he pulled away. Then he made his way through the barrier after Harry.

* * *

It became a silent agreement between Harry and Allen that, since they didn't know anyone else, that they would be the ones to sit together in an empty compartment. They kept asking questions back and forth, such as what it was like to live in and Orphanage and what Harry's relatives were like. Harry had less than pleasant things. Then he had gotten distracted by that redheaded family that they had met earlier.

One of the youngest male redheads (quickly discovered that his name is Ron Weasley) of that family opened their compartment and asked the two if he could sit. Allen gave him a warm smile. Then his twin brothers entered and spoke about a giant tarantula before disappearing.

"I can't decide whether I should go look or not," Allen had mused aloud.

Ron did not seem to like the idea of gawking at an arachnid.

The trio then fell into a light conversation. Well, Harry and Ron did. Allen opened one of the magic books and skimmed them for information, occassionally joining in when they asked him a question. There were a few intruders. The cart lady for one, then a boy looking for a toad, a girl with hair bushy enough to rival Hagrid's beard, and finally, a trio of troublemakers.

Let's just say that the last group was lucky that Ron's rat, Scabbers, had gotten them to scurry off before Allen had gotten out of his seat.

The trio quickly changed into their robes about five minutes before it reached it's stop.

"Firs' years," Hagrid could be heard calling when they stepped off the train. Actually, he could be seen towering over the heads of the kids. After greeting Allen and Harry with a beaming smile, he led the first years through a dark and narrow path. As Harry and Ron went to a boat that was to be occupied with the bushy-headed girl and the boy with the missing toad.

"Would it be alright if I ride with you, Mr. Hagrid," Allen had asked. Without Harry or, at the very least, Ron to keep him company, Allen was not keen on sitting in a boat with children who would ask him questions about his hair or scar. Hagrid was the best choice even if it increased the chances of the boat capsizing.

Hagrid had on a positively _bigger_ smile than before.

"I don' mind. Get on in."

Allen bowed his head gratefully and slid into the boat.

The ride across the lake was aweing. The castle was grand, lit with what Allen had expected were candles. Everyone was dead silent as it grew closer.

"Beau'iful, isn't it?"

Except for Hagrid. He was quietly murmuring to Allen who, in response, had nodded.

They passed the underside of a cliff. Everyone had to duck their heads to avoid getting smacked in the face with rock. After spending some time in a long, dark tunnel, they emerged in an underground harbor and got off. Harry and Ron wasted no time finding Allen and the trio followed Hagrid by climbing over onto the passageway. As they came to a stop outside a door, Harry's voice slipped out in a whisper.

"Allen, where's Timcanpy?"

The boy instantly froze and began to check his pockets. Empty. Allen could _feel_ the blood on his face drain, making the scar stand out even more.

"I had him before we got on the train," he moaned weakly.

Then the door opened, revealing a stern-looking witch. As supervision switched from the giant man to the woman, Harry had to nudge the stricken Allen inside.

The woman's name was McGonagall. She explained the Houses and the House Cup before leaving them alone for a moment. It wasn't until someone screamed that Allen forced his thoughts from Timcanpy to search for a possible threat.

Afterwards, he was wondering on what he was thinking. There was no threat. In fact, it would be silly to think that there was one here in a school with wizards and witches far more powerful than him. Or so he would hope. It was merely about four-dozen ghosts making their way through. Allen didn't expect them to look that physical.

"It's good to see you," one of the ghosts informed the boy, dipping his head. Allen was the only one who didn't seem terrified.

"And you as well," was his response, equally polite.

"Move along now," McGonagall snapped. "The Sorting Ceremony is suppose to start."

And the ghosts scattered, disappearing through the wall. McGonagall lined them up and took them towards what she called the Great Hall. The walls of the Great Hall were impressive, lit up entirely with thousands upon thousands of floating candles. But it was the ceiling that most attracted Allen's attention.

According to Hermione, it was bewitched to look like the outside, which means that the ceiling was a black blanket with silvery dots gleaming along it. Then his attention was derived by a stool and a hat. A hat that had begun to sing.

When it ended it's course, people applauded and the hat bowed to the four long tables. It wasn't until it stilled that McGonagall began to call names.

Harry ended up going to Gryffindor. The nervous and relieved look on his face made Allen smile. Two other people were called up before him, leaving Allen left with just Ron and another.

 _"What House do you think you'd be put_ _i_ _n," Ron had asked after Malfoy had left._

 _"Does it matter?_ _"_

 _"Well, guess not. But I wouldn't want to be a Slytherin. Better Hufflepuff._ "

"Walker, Allen."

The teachers, Allen had noticed, locked their eyes on him. He could even hear a faint gasp from one of the tables.

Allen did his best to appraoch as collected as possible, which he was sure he managed. He didn't like having all eyes on him but it always happened whether he wanted it or not. He sat on the stool with his hands placed on his lap. The McGonagall placed the hat on his head. The thing was so big, it went over his eyes.

 _"My, my..."_ Allen could feel it leafing around his head as it spoke to him. _"I wasn't expecting you. So different and yet so much the same. You've had more love this time."_

The boy clenched his hand.

 _"More love and less darkness. You're not as ambitious. Just as courageous, yes._ He _seems to be gone as well b_ _ut... I sense more lying underneath. Buried. The real one... I see. In that case, you will be placed in-"_

"SLYTHERIN," the hat had yelled. McGonagall pulled the hat off and the first thing Allen saw as the mentioned table clapped was Ron's appalled face. Even a glance at Harry revealed his disappointment before he slipped off the stool to the table he was to sit at.

Allen had made _sure_ that he sat a good distance from Malfoy. Unfortunately, when the Sorting ended and the man he had come to know as Albus Dumbledore said a few random words before they've began to eat. Luck was not on his side when Malfoy came to sit beside him.

"Allen Walker," he drawled. "Like the wizard?"

"Sorry, I'm afriad that I don't understand."

Allen was not wanting anything to do with Malfoy after their little incident in Madam Malkin's but figured that it wouldn't hurt to be polite. It seems as though Malfoy comes from an esteemed family.

"Muggle-raised? Are you a mudblood?"

"Yes I am muggle-raised. And mudblood implies a mix of muggle and wizard doesn't it?" Allen kept his expression blank. "I wouldn't know. If you find out who my birth parents are, please do inform me."

Malfoy gave Allen a scrutinizing look. But the snow-headed boy was already tired of his presence and instead turned towards the food. After a moment of debating, he selected what he deemed to be the best of the stack and set it on his plate, carefully making sure that none of the Slytherin's made note to his left arm.

He didn't think that they would be as accepting of it like Harry or Hagrid.

After the feast, Albus gave some warnings about a few rules. Then he mentioned that the third-floor on the right-hand side was out of bounds for people who wished to avoid a painful death.

Allen would be lying if he said that his interest was caught. But he wasn't stupid and thus, made it so that he would avoid that area unless he _needed_ to go there.

Which theretically should be never.

The students were dismissed.

Perfects began leading the first years to their designated room. The Houses split up, Allen not even having the chance to speak to Harry as he was led in an entirely different directions. They went downwards until Allen reached what he noticed was a dungeon.

"The password changes every two weeks," the female Perfect, Gemma she was called, had informed them all. "Please check the notice board by then for a new password." After that, she turned to the wall and spoke in a clear tone. "Salazar."

The wall of the dungeon moved, revealing a corridor underneath. Allen followed the masses in, only pausing when he noticed the area. The windows were tinted green with underwater plants swaying to-and-fro, barely reaching the pane. A fire was crackling in the fireplace and the couches settled there was an inky black. The room itself looked gloomy and cold despite this and yet...

Allen did feel enough familiarity in it to not be put off.

Finding his room was not much of a difficult task. A four-poster bed swarthed in green and silver with three others just like it. Unfortunately for him, his roomates seemed to have found it as well, their belongings placed neatly on their bed. And Allen couldn't _believe_ who he was stuck with.

Malfoy... and a couple of guys who probably resembled trolls. And they were busy scurrying about the room trying to catch something.

"Don't just stand there," Malfoy hissed at Allen. "Get it!"

"Get what?"

Just as Allen looked to see what the comotion was, a flash of gold caught his eye before smacking right into his forehead. His right hand lifted up just in time to catch the creature. "Tim!?"

The golden ball waved his wings and smiled. Allen brought him up to his cheek. "I was wondering where you went! What if I had lost you!?"

"You own that," Malfoy demanded. "It's a snitch."

" It's not a snitch, he's Timcanpy." Allen stared at the golden ball before sighing. Tim took to the air before landing decisively on Allen's head. "And he's a golem. I'm going to call it a night. Let's try to get to know each other tomorrow, shall we?"

The blond narrowed his eyes skeptically.

"Fine."


	2. Chapter II (vers 2)

_"What are you doing?"_

 _The greasy-haired teenager looked down at the floor, not willing to look up at his Professor. Despite his expression giving nothing away, it almost seemed as though his teacher knew what he was thinking at all times._

" _Severus?"_

 _"..."_

 _His teacher flicked his warm gaze over to the tree closest from the Forbidden Forest. There were messy slashes in the bark. "Are you creating a dark spell?"_

 _The Slytherin stayed silent and absolutely still._

 _His teacher sighed. "Well, I doubt that you're going to stop. Here, I'll help you."_

" _You will?" Severus became dumbfounded. "Why?"_

 _"It's better if I supervise and make sure you stay safe as opposed to you doing it behind my back and someone getting hurt. But Severus, I have no doubt that this will be a dangerous spell. If I help you, you must promise me that you will be careful on how you will use it."_

 _"I promise, Professor."_

" _Good. Now let me see your notes. We'll start there."_

* * *

Allen made his way to the Great Hall the next day. He was marvelling at the fact that he didn't end up lost when normally, he would probably be on the other side of the castle by now. Still not wanting to speak to Malfoy with the incident of the train and Madam Malkin's playing in his head, he took a seat across from Ron and Harry.

"Um, mate," Ron began as he piled some food on his plate. "This isn't your House table."

"I'm aware," Allen had responded, placing a forkful of egg in his mouth. "Malfoy is using his family name like it's a free pass at acting like a jerk. I got tired of it."

"Yeah, he's a git. But see, this is the _Gryffindors'_ table. And you're not a Gryffindor."

"And yet two seats down, a Hufflepuff is enjoying a conversation with a Gryffindor. At the Slytherins' table, a Ravenclaw is having their own conversation. It doesn't seem against the rules to enjoy a meal with friends from another House."

"Yeah but..."

"Let me guess; once that Hat declared me a Slytherin, you decided that I must be as nasty as them, haven't you?"

Ron didn't say a word as Harry glanced anxiously between them. The snow-headed boy sighed and got up from his seat.

"Allen," Harry began.

"No, it's fine, Harry. I did not take it into consideration that Mr. Weasley would be unsettled by my presence. I shall head to my table now. I think the Head of my House is passing out our timestables. Perhaps I'll see you after." He paused. "And Mr. Weasely, I care very little for this game Hogwarts has. I assure you that I am not the sterotypical Slytherin." Allen walked over to his table, leaving his half-eaten food and a reddening Ron behind him.

Once classes had started, Allen discovered that he did thoroughly enjoy his subjects. Each one of them he happened to breeze through with ease and his teachers were very proud. They did inform him that Timcanpy couldn't be fluttering about so Allen told him to either stay on his head, on the desk, or in his pocket. His snowy locks were the obvious choice for the small golem.

The week passed with relatively ease. The tables from other Houses found Allen to be unique. He didn't care for the Hogwarts Houses nor their Cup and he treated everyone fairly. The only ones who were wary of him were the Gryffindors but Harry made sure to spend some time with him when he could and they were slowly warming up to him. Sometimes, the two of them would do their homework in the library since Ronald would refuse to come. Neville would end up scanning through the books with a hopeless expression on his face and Allen would invite him over to help him with his homework. The round-faced boy would turn red and splutter "thank you's".

"You understand this really well," Harry stated with surprise as he watched Allen write down the super long paragraph about garlic and vampire's aversion to them. Allen wrote quickly but his lettering, in Harry's eyes, were fancy. Old-fashioned even.

"Yes well, I simply read." Allen paused. Today it was just them. No Neville and no Ron. "Harry, does something seem... wrong about Professor Quirrel?"

"No, not that I think so. Why?"

"I don't know. There's just something about him..." He hummed thoughtfully, absent-mindedly twirling the quill around in his hand. "He's fishy."

"Really?" Harry blinked. "I don't see how. He's scared of everything."

"And yet he teaches the very subject he seems to fear. Any normal man who had gotten spooked by something as bad as he would be running for the hills and never accept anything even closely related to what terrified him. It just..." _It doesn't add up,_ he thought.

Silence passed by them, completely uninterrupted as Tim gnawed on Allen's hair. He eventually sighed. "No, it's probably nothing. All this magic is getting to me. I'm overspeculating."

Harry nodded but later on, when he was laying beneath his blankets trying to sleep, he would mull over Allen's words.

* * *

Peeves, Allen had come to know, was the terror of the school. He always did pranks and stuff, disappearing and appearing at will. Apparently he was a poltergeist. And unlike ghosts, who were a faintly transparent and shimmering silver, Peeves wore obnoxiously bright clothes and looked completely solid. He had heard tales of Peeves shenanigans. It wasn't until the day he skipped out on going to Hagrid's so as to not encounter Ron (he was still miffed about their interaction at breakfast) that he came across Peeves in the halls with him holding a bucket and what seemed to be mud in his hands. Allen was quick enough to dodge under a handful of mud that splattered itself on the walls.

"You must be Peeves," he stated, looking towards the poltergeist with a pleasant smile on his face. Peeves however did not seemed to find it pleasant. The poltergeist turned as white as a ghost and allowed the bucket of mud to clatter on the ground.

"W-Walker," Peeves responded. "How um, nice it is to see you, it is. I was just- I didn't realize that it was you."

"So it's okay to throw mud at someone else?" Allen raised an eyebrow, utterly confused onto his terror.

"No, sir! Not at all, sir. I was just going to clean it up, I was."

"I see..." he frowned. "Continue, I guess?"

He hurried on his way as Peeves frantically went to scooping the mud back up, trying his best to get to the library with little interaction. That was when he had come across Fred and George, the Weasley twins.

"Never thought I'd see anyone else who scared Peeves," the twin he thought was Fred had commented. He had come to notice that Fred normally is the one who starts a conversation.

"It's usually the Bloody Baron who terrifies him," George added.

"What did you do to him?"

"Er, nothing as far as I remember." Allen's brows knitted together. "Can I help you two?"

"We heard from a little birdy that you're a great gambler."

"So we wanted to see for ourselves."

"How about a game of poker during dinner?"

"Bring your cards."

"I'm sorry, but that bird must be wrong." Allen flashed the twins a polite smile. "You see, I don't own cards and I've never played poker in my life."

"Impossible." Fred stared at the snow-headed teenager as though his hopes and dreams were crushed. "We were told that you are the best of the best."

"And our source is always reliable," George stated proudly.

"Just one small game."

"Can't hurt, can it?"

"I'm telling you, your source is wrong. I'm sorry but I must finish my homework. Excuse me."

Allen hurried down the hall much to the Weasleys' disappointment. He would've been more than happy to indulge them in a game but his arm wasn't exactly cooperative. He would need both hands if he wanted to win at a simple round of poker. He knew that much.

He entered the library and paused when he noticed someone else there. Hermione was seated at a table, seeming both focused and frustrated on whatever she was reading. Allen was debating sitting at an empty table and finishing up his assignments before relenting. Instead, he moved over to Hermione's table and rested the strap of his bag over on the chair.

"A penny for your thoughts, Miss Granger?" he had asked as Timcanpy fluttered from his head onto her book, the two of them effectively startling her.

"Huh? O-oh, nothing!"

"Nothing?" Allen blinked. "I'm sorry but it seems as though you're trying to develope a brain tumor, _without_ magic might I add, over nothing?"

"Well, when you put it that way." She looked faintly embarrassed. Allen took a peek at her book.

"Witch burnings?" He became contemplative. "Those are in the later chapters of _A History of Magic._ The burnings have nothing to do with the assignment Professor Binns have given us."

Hermione's face flushed. "There is a relation when you think about it. Muggles have been hunting witches for ages. I'm looking for the areas in where they took place. B-besides, this is for extra credit."

Allen smiled and took a seat across from her. "Alright then, I'll help." He chuckled at her surprised look. "I'm not going to ignore a lady when she is in need. You're just looking for the areas, yes?" She nodded and gripped her quill anxiously. "Let's see... There were the Basque witch hunts in Spain. It was Fulda in Germany. North Berick in Scotland..."

"How do you know all this," Hermione had asked once she had written every thing down.

"Hm? Oh, I learned this growing up. The Headmistress was the one who taught me what I actually needed to know. It was the rest of the nuns who wanted me to read up on witches and satanists." His smile turned a bit rueful. "Most of them are quite certain that I am the anti-Christ."

"Why is that?" Hermione inquired, genuinely curious. At this point, yet another person had entered the library and saved Allen from answering.

"Mr. Longbottom! You're just in time! Come here, I'll be more than happy to help you with your homework."

* * *

Gryffindor had a rather unappealing encounter with Slytherin. Malfoy had taken Neville's Rememberall and was jeering at him.

"Stop using your name as a reason to act like a jerk, Malfoy," Allen stated coldly. Harry thought that he actually looked intimidating with his silver eyes narrowed and no smile to combat his scar. Even Malfoy had paused momentarily when Allen held a gloved hand outwards. "Give me the Rememberall."

"I think not," he sneered, going airborne on his broom.

"Harry," Allen called and the two of them took off seconds after. They chased Malfoy around the field. They weren't too high. About twelve to fifteen feet, if Allen had to guess. Harry would flank Malfoy and Allen would attempt to cut Malfoy off. The Slytherin seemed to have had enough because he told them to "catch" and flung the ball.

"I got it," Harry exclaimed, chasing after it. Allen nodded briefly and, without actually putting much thought into the consequences, streaked towards the smug-looking boy. That smugness immediately turned into fear when Allen hopped off his broom in order to tackle the Slytherin out of the air. For a brief moment, they hung in the sky before gravity pulled them down. Pushing the brat away and twisting around in the air, Allen's feet landed on the ground with the boy bending his knees and rolling forward, softening the impact as he hopped up almost with ease. Malfoy wasn't so lucky and the sharp _crack_ from his own leg upon landing made it well-known.

Allen thought that two weeks of detention starting tomorrow night and a loss of fifty points were absolutely worth Malfoy's payback. The Gryffindors also agreed and wished that Allen was in their House. Even Ron warmed up to him immensely.

* * *

Allen spent dinner surrounded by Gryffindors. To be honest, Slytherin were giving him the evil eye and Malfoy was doing his best not to look at him. The Gryffindors pulled him over to their table to enjoy a nice chat and give him cheers. He smiled politely in return but he wasn't feeling as joyous as them. He just wanted Malfoy to understand that his actions would have people turning on him if he wasn't careful. Malfoy had come over to the table to speak with Harry but Allen was unfortunate enough to be stuck between Fred and George as well as someone known as Alicia and plenty of other Gryffindors that were a couple years above him.

"Did you have fun with the Gryffindors?" Malfoy sneered when Allen had entered the Common Room.

"Did you have fun in the infirmary?" he responded politely as he made his way to their dorms. He paused when he noticed Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle standing as menacing thugs outside their room. They cracked their knuckles threateningly and Allen deadpanned at them in return.

"If Potter and Weasley are lucky, they might join you for detention," Malfoy informed him smugly.

"And why is that?"

"No particular reason. I had informed Filch that they would be in the Trophy Room. You're not thinking of going, are you?"

Crabbe and Goyle had advanced on Allen. As if knowing what might happen, Tim took to the air and flapped a good distance from his master.

"Are you going to stop me? Because if so, that will be a waste of both of our time."

Allen took a step towards the entrance. Goyle immediately latched onto Allen's left arm. Before Crabbe could even grab his right, the boy whipped around and punched Goyle as hard as he could in the eye. The larger Slytherin howled and released him as he cupped his face. Without a second thought, Allen twisted around clockwise and kicked Crabbe in the side. He went flying into Goyle and both went down. Crabbe writhed and didn't seem to be getting up any time soon. It was Goyle that was beginning to move. Allen pulled his leg back and kicked Goyle in the stomach, forcing him back down to the ground. His instincts screaming at him, Allen ducked beneath a spell that was shot his way and slipped his own wand from his pocket.

 _"Expelliarmus."_

A red light blasted Malfoy in the chest, sending him flying into a wall while his wand went flying elsewhere.

"I should break your wand," he stated to the dazed blond with a tone encased in ice. "You're lucky that I won't. I told you that this was a waste of time." He moved towards the door and left them be.

* * *

"What the bloody hell are you doing here," Ron demanded as he and Harry slipped inside the Trophy Room.

"What do you think?" Allen responded, casually leaning on the wall with his arms crossed. "Malfoy isn't coming. It's not just because he was trying to get you guys in trouble. I... had gotten into a little squabble with him and his friends." He blinked when he noticed two other people following them. "Miss Granger? Mr. Longbottom? Not that I don't enjoy your presence but why are you two here?"

"We got locked out of our room," Hermione answered, her face becoming red.

"So let me get this straight... You followed Harry and Mr. Weasley-"

"I told you to call me Ron!"

"-into an obvious trap and get detention as well as lose House points instead of waiting outside your room or trying to find the teacher in-charge of your House to let you back in?" Hermione flushed even more. Even Neville was joining in. "Honestly, I expected you two to at least know better."

"I-I wouldn't think that you would be here either," Neville stuttered.

"...You're quite right. I would normally not be. We should head back to our rooms now. Mr. Filch is wandering around and we would be in trouble if we're cau-"

"Sniff around, my sweet. They might be lurking around the corner."

"Speak of the devil," Allen murmured and motioned for the Gryffindors to move. They did so quickly, much to his relief. All of them could head back to their rooms without getting caught.

Or they could have, if Neville hadn't crashed into a suit of armor.

"Move," Allen ordered and they all went streaking down the hall.

"Students out of bed," Peeves had said as he saw a group moving down the hall. He grinned mischeviously in the faces of Ron and Harry. He didn't see Allen behind them. "Should tell Filch, I should. It's for your own good, you know."

"Peeves." The poltergeist froze when Allen spoke. "Please don't tell Filch. I'll be upset if you do."

"I-I won't, sir! Promise I won't!"

"Then leave us."

"Yes, Earl sir. Whatever you say!"

Peeves went streaking down the hall. Ron gawked as Hermione muttered a spell at a nearby door. "What was that abou- Allen, are you alright?"

"Yes..." The Slytherin was holding his hand against his temple. A horrendous spike of pain had shot up his head when she pushed the door open.

"Allen, come on," Harry hissed, grabbing his arm. But Filch was making his way down the hall quickly and Allen knew that he wasn't going to make it inside in time. If he even tried, Filch would see him enter and all will be caught. So he pulled away from Harry and shoved him into the room before closing the door.

"Mr. Allen Walker," the elderly man stated as he caught up. His eyes narrowed as he sw Allen standing in the hallway. "Where are you doing up at this hour?"

"Good evening, Mr. Filch," Allen had said. "Or is it morning? Never mind that, I was looking for the hospital wing and I'm afraid that I had gotten quite lost."

"The hospital wing?"

"Yes." He smiled wryly. "I was there earlier after an accident in flying lessons. I've been getting awful headaches and decided to inform Madam Pomfrey so I may get a potion or so to make it go away. All these hallways made me confused on where I shall go... Mr. Filch, would you be so kind as to show me the way?"

"Hm..." Filch glared at Allen for a long moment before his expression softened. "Oh, fine."

They began walking down the hall, much to Allen's surprise. He had heard awful things about Filch but he didn't seem too bad. "May I hold Mrs. Norris, Mr. Filch? I'm usually not a fan of cats because they like to eat my golem but... She looks lovely."

Filch basically shone at that statement and soon Allen found himself holding a purring, skeletal cat.

* * *

"I thought you were going to get expelled for sure," Hermione voiced when he sat next to her in the morning.

"Expelled?" Allen was amused. "For wandering around lost because I needed a trip to the infirmary? No, Mr. Filch was kind enough to leave me outside Madam Pomfreys'. I assume that everyone had made it back to their Common Rooms alright?"

"After you left, we encountered a three-headed dog." Allen stared at her. "It turns out that we were in the forbidden area on the third floor. In fact, we ended up in the room with it. There was a trap door there as well. I think it was guarding it."

"And you want to go look?"

"Are you _insane_?" Hermione's face had paled. "I'm not going anywhere near it. And you better not either!"

"I won't," he promised. "Not unless I have a reason to."

She looked as though she was about to say more before a voice cut there their conversation.

"Walker."

His head turning towards the voice, Allen frowned when he saw that it was Malfoy who was standing there.

"I... came to apologize." The blond cringed as though he wasn't use to saying those words. Knowing him, he probably wasn't. "For last night. Can we... Can we _try_ to be friends?"

Allen stared at Malfoy for the longest time. The Slytherin figeted under his silver stare a few moments longer before snapping. " _What_?"

"Oh, nothing." The snow-haired boy merely smiled. "Your apology was excrutiating to watch." Malfoy gawked. "Yes, we can try to be friends, Mr. Malfoy. Or would you prefer it if I called you Draco?"

"Either is fine with me," he hissed before stalking off. Allen quirked an eyebrow and turned towards Hermione as if to say "what's his problem". She shrugged in response. He hummed quietly in return before continuing to eat his breakfast.

* * *

The entire day passed by with Allen occassionally thinking back to what Peeves had called him: "Earl". The word itself caused conflicting emotions and he didn't understand why. The more he even thought about it, the more it had given him a headache. By the time classes ended, Allen had gone searching for Hermione. He caught a glimpse of her heading towards the girls' bathroom and patiently waited outside.

"Are you waiting on Hermione?" a girl with plaited black hair and dark eyes asked.

"Ah, yes."

"You might as well head onto dinner. It sounds like she's going to be in there for a while. She's upset."

"Upset?" Alarm flickered through him. "What happened?"

"Don't ask me. I was just in there when she came in sobbing. She didn't say a word."

The Gryffindor stalked off, leaving Allen to stare at the bathroom contemplatively. If he strained his hearing, he could faintly recognize Hermione's crying coming from the other side of the door.

Stepping up to the girls' restroom, Allen knocked on the door and softly called out, "Hermione?"

The sobs immediately cut off. Frowning to himself, he pushed the door open. The area seemed empty, save for the stalls, which was where Hermione's sniffles and hiccups were coming from.

"Hermione?"

"Y-you're not suppose to be in here," her voice sounded. It was wavering and the sentence ended with yet another hiccup.

Technically, he wasn't inside the bathroom. He was standing in the hallway with the door open but he decided that it was of little importance. "What happened?"

"...Nothing. I'm fi-ne."

Her assurance broke apart with that one word and her sudden silence made it known that she was aware of this fact as well. Holding back a sigh, Allen checked the hall to see if it was empty. With a quick glance informing him that it was, he slipped inside the bathroom to lean outside the stall that he presumed Hermione to be in. All the others were open and empty. He wasn't going to take "it's fine" for an answer. Even when it was so blatantly obvious that she was not.

"Hermione, what's wrong?"

A pregnant silence stretched between them. Hermione seemed to have noticed that he wouldn't leave until she told him.

"It's... Ron..." She finally admitted. "H-he said that I was a nightmare... Maybe he's right. I don't have any friends."

"Mr. Weasley tends to blurt out whatever comes to mind." Putting that aside, Allen's tone became teasing. "Besides, I'm hurt. I thought you and I were friends. Or at least you and Mr. Longbottom."

A small burst of giggles rang from the stall.

"Ignore what Mr. Weasley said. He doesn't have the eyes to see what's in front of him."

"...And you do, Allen?"

"Hmm..." Allen flashed a small smile at Timcanpy. The golem was resting on the edge of the sink. "Perhaps you should come out of there and I'll tell you what I see."

There was some hesitance before a small _click_ sounded. Hermione peeked her head out uncertainly, her eyes bloodshot from crying and her nose red. Allen tilted his eyes sideways and motioned for her to come over. She did so slowly, seeming to shy away under his gaze. He smiled gently her way as he pushed off the sink.

"I don't see a nightmare," he commented. "I see a brave, knowledgable girl trying to do the best she could. If you wish, I can speak to Mr. Weasley."

"N-no, it's fine."

"If you say so." Allen was still going to talk to Ron. Leaving that for now, he wiped some tears still left on her face. "Here, let's clean you up. A lady shouldn't be crying."

Hermione nodded, her face flushing darkly as she pulled from Allen and turned on the tap. As he leaned against the wall for her to finish, she threw the water in her face as though she were trying to drown herself.

"If we hurry, we should still be able to make it to the Feast," he commented, glancing at Timcanpy. "I'm sure you would love all the variety of food."

Timcanpy grinned. That grin soon disappeared when a low, musical note sounded in the air. Hermione paused and looked around while Allen patted himself down. Call himself crazy but it seemed to be coming from him. No, not him. His wand. He pulled it out to examine it as the note continued to play. At the same time, a putrid odor premeated the bathroom.

A high-pitched scream tore Allen from his fascination with his wand. Hermione stepped backwards into the wall next to him with pure unadulterated fear. His silver eyes flashing over to the source, he found himself staring at a large and rather unappealing troll. A ginormous and intimidating club about his size or bigger was clenched in it's hand.

"Hermione! _Hermione_!"

The Gryffindor was so trapped in her fear that she didn't respond to Allen for a good while. The boy shook her frantically to get her to snap her gaze at her. His expression was serious. "I'll distract the troll, you run for the entrance."

"But All-"

" _Do it._ "

Surprise flashed across her face at the sharp order that was delivered. Before she could even think to refuse, he pushed her to the side and flicking his wand, declared _"Sectumsempra"_ clearly. A slash went across it's thigh and the troll roared. Hermione managed to slip past as it thrashed about.

"It's locked!" she screamed, pushing at the door as hard as possible. Allen glanced over to see her nearly falling outside into the hall when it opened up and more faces peered in. Was that Harry and Ron?

 _Wham._

Allen was distracted for too long. The troll had swung his club and without any room to dodge, he found the club meeting with his ribcage. The air whooshed out of his lungs unwillingly and after a moment of suspension, found his back cracking hard against the stone wall.

"Allen!" he heard someone yell. His vision swam and it hurt to breath but somehow, miraculously, he kept a handle on his wand.

With _Sectumsempra_ firmly planted in his mind, Allen frantically waved his wand. Harry and Ron were now in the mix. If they get hurt, if _anyone_ gets hurt... Not again.

The boy was slowly getting his vision back as the troll howled in agony. Everything was bleary but he could have sworn that he had heard Ron shout and now the club was being held over the troll. It fell and the troll went crashing to the ground.

"Allen, are you alright?" Hermione was by his side in an instant as he struggled to get up.

"I'm fine," he stated, giving her a weak chuckle as he bit back his pain and leaned against the wall for support. His back ached and he thinks that quite a few of his ribs are broken. "What about you and Harry? Mr. Weasely?"

"We're not the ones that got beaten by a club, mate," Ron commented, eyeing Allen as though he was inhuman. "How can you even stand up after that?"

Allen didn't get to answer. Actually, that was fine because he didn't have one. He just found it silly that he would still be sitting after an attack such as that. And when the teachers who arrived seemed to bear down on Harry and Ron as though they caused this mess, Hermione was one step ahead and beat Allen to confessing that this was her fault.

"Hermione," Allen began.

"You know it is, Allen. You're hurt because of me."

Her eyes swam with unshed tears, making Allen realize that she _was_ blaming herself for his injuries. McGonagall took some points away, gave Gryffindor and Slytherin more, before dismissing them. Little Timcanpy settled himself on his master's head when he held back and smiled nervously at his teachers. "I apologize, I think I need an escort. I'm not too sure that I can make it to Madam Pomfrey on my own."

Hermione paled at his words and began apologizing, of which Allen tried to wave away. It was Snape who said that he would take him.

"What are your injuries," Snape had asked as they walked alone through the hall. His tone was normally quiet but right now it was lacking the malice it always held.

"..." He thought about it. "I believe that I've broken a few ribs."

"And yet you're still moving as though you don't hurt at all," Snape commented. And then quieter. "Remarkable." He glanced at Allen. "I recognized the spell you used. Sectumsempra." The boy frowned. "Where did you learn of it?"

"I don't know... It just came to me in the heat of the moment I suppose. Why do you ask?"

"Because Sectumsempra is a dark spell designed to injure. Some say that it's like getting cut with a sword."

"How do you know of it, Professor Snape?"

"Because." They stopped outside the Hospital Wing. "I was one of the ones who created it."

Snape left Allen on his own and walked off. The boy stared after him for a brief moment before his pain reminded him of his situation. Without another moment to lose, he turned towards the door and pushed them open.

Madam Pomfrey was dealing with another student. After hearing the doors open, she turned her head and exhasperation flitted across her face. "Mr. Walker. Broken bones, I presume?"

He gave a nod.

"Of course. You don't come to me otherwise." She motioned to a bed. "Sit there while I go and get you a mending potion."

As far as Allen knew, he had not once come here for a broken bone until today.

* * *

"Are you going to watch the Quidditch match," Harry had asked Allen. The boy thought about it briefly before agreeing. Quidditch seemed fun and Allen thought that he might legitamently enjoy being a Beater but... Well, one must have a hand on the broom and a hand on the bat. He could only do one task at a time.

"Sure," he agreed. But he wasn't going to spend it with Ron and Hermione. He was carefully splitting his time up with them and with Draco, Vincent, and Gregory. Once Draco got past using his name and ranking for everything (which was and still is hard to do), Allen found that he was amusing in his own right.

"You don't get many letters from your parents, do you," he had asked the blond the morning of the game. Draco opened his mouth to speak and when he couldn't find anything, responded with a sharp _"shut up"._ "Besides," he continued. "I don't see you getting any letters either."

As if to contradict that very statement, a letter fell in front of Allen with his name addressed on it. Raising an eyebrow curiously, he opened the letter and scanned it's contents. After doing so, he felt very guilty.

 _Dear Allen,_

 _It's been a while, hasn't it? I apologize for not writing sooner. I admit, I did not know how to contact you. I hope from your lack of letters that you are enjoying Hogwarts. It seems as though your Headmaster knew of my predicament and sent me an owl. He had informed me that Timcanpy should be able to record and show messages_

 _I miss you terribly every day. I was also wondering if you were going to stay over at Hogwarts for Christmas. I would like to see you but I know that the other children would make that day unbearable for you. if you wish to stay there, I would not mind. Just send me notice on if you are so I know whether I should await you at the station. Be safe._

 _Love you always,_

 _Meredith_

Feeling someone trying to peek over his shoulder, Allen folded up the letter and looked over at Draco. The blond immediately shrank away. Allen then got out of his seat. "I have a letter to write. I'll see you at the game."

The Slytherin nodded and he hurried out of the Great Hall.

Later that day, Allen would be grimacing in the stands as Draco roared with laughter, thoroughly entertained as Harry's Nimbus 2000 tried to frantically buck him off. He normally had such a good handle on his broom every time he passed the Gryffindor team practicing so why it was doing this during the game was worrying. It didn't help that the blond's laughter was ringing in his ears.

"Where are you going," Draco demanded when Allen moved to get away.

"Anywhere but here," he responded, pulling away from the Slytherin crowd. He had to squeeze past many people to even make his way back down to the grounds. Feeling relieved of the lack of people, he began wandering about. The cheering of the crowd died away and while he hoped the best for Harry's safety, he no longer felt uneasy about being surrounded by the masses. Crowds never were his favorite.

A low musical note, same as the time the troll had appeared, sounded from his pocket. Allen pulled out his wand with a frown as he wondered what that was about. Hearing the sound of wood creaking, he looked up in time to see a large branch swinging down from the sky.

Allen rolled out of the way as the large branch slammed into the Earth, kicking up a cloud of dust in it's wake. He blinked at it owlishly for a moment as the tree straightened and looked down at his wand. So that noise... His wand seems to make it when he is in danger. Straightening up, he tilted his head slightly as he watched the old willow tree lift it's branch back up and stilled as though it had never moved in the first place.

This should be good practice.

Or so he thought, until he ended back in Madam Pomfrey's with a broken arm. He was going to have to see if there was a spell for mending bones.

* * *

"What do you know of Nicholas Flamel," Hermione inquired when they met up in the library with Harry and Ron for a study session. Or so Allen had thought. It seems that Hagrid had a slip of the tongue and now they were searching for that person.

"Nicholas Flamel?" Allen hummed thoughtfully, knowing that he had heard that name somewhere.

 _A kind, ghost-looking old man opened the door. A smile appeared on his wrinkly face._

He shook the image from his head. What was...? Never mind. "Didn't he have to do something with alchemy? Tim, no. You can't eat that."

"Alchemy?" The three Gryffindors stared at the snow-headed boy as though he were insane. Allen frowned, having a tug-of-war of sorts with Tim and his quill.

"From what I remember about him, he was an alchemist. It was rumored that he created something big."

"What?" Harry pressed.

"I don't know. I think I read it in a book. If I had, I've certainly forgotten it."

"What a lot of help you are," Ron muttered.

Hermione's eyes lit up. "No, it should be fine. I doubt that there are many alchemists that are named Nicholas Flamel. Allen, will you help me look?"

"Certainly."

* * *

All of Allen's friends had gone home for the Holidays. All save for Harry and Ron, of course. The Slytherin Common Rooms were uncomfortably barren and poor Timcanpy was urging Allen to wake up Christmas morning. The boy grumbled and fell back asleep on his bed. All he wanted to do was ignore today like it didn't exist. He disliked Christmas.

 _Chomp._

"Timcanpy," Allen howled, shooting upright to hold onto his throbbing ear. He glared at his satisfied golem. "What was that for!?"

Tim landed on the pile of presents at the end of his bed.

Kicking off his covers, Allen made his way to the presents and carefully looked at all of them. There was a package from Draco, a present from the combined efforts of Vincent and Gregory, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Neville, a combined one from the Weasley twins, and four that didn't even have names.

Draco had given him a serpent emblem, Vincent, Gregory, and Neville had given him cards, Harry some chocolate frogs, Ron a hopelessy Charmed... whatever-it-is, Hermione had given him a book with more advanced Hexes and Curses, and the twins had given him a firework. Putting those aside with a faint smile on his face, Allen reached for the unknown presents.

 _"I'm glad to see you back._ _~LL,"_ one card stated, added along with a box of chocolate. Another gift of his was a pack of cards with the words _"_ _Black Allen must return :D"_ written on the note. Another one said _"Merry Christmas, Allen."_ And opening the package, he found himself with an ivory sweater that at a large red A on the front outlined with silver. Whoever had knitted this had done so carefully. He stared at it for a long moment before deciding to slip it on. Finally, he turned to the last package and opened it. Five dumplings each were skewered onto three sticks and covered with a sweet soy sauce glaze. They had been placed in a container, either fresh or spelled with how they were still warm. He glanced at the note.

 _Mitarashi Dango. I believe that these will become your favorite. Please enjoy._

 _Merry Christmas and Happy Birthday_

"That isn't creepy at all," he murmured. He knew very well that he had told no one of his birthday. And Meredith's present hasn't come in... Regardless, he took a bite of the miratashi dango-

And fell in love. Seriously, he thinks that it was the best thing he had _ever_ had.

* * *

After mentally preparing himself for the Christmas cheer (it's not really the _cheer_ he minded) and Timcanpy had gone God-knows-where, Allen made his way to the Great Hall only to find the Weasleys and some redhead gawking at him.

"You got one too!?" Fred and George had crowed in unison. Allen stared at them.

"Our mum," the eldest looking Weasley explained. Ron was staring at Allen as well. "To think she would send you a sweater."

"We all know that Molly is a woman with a lot of love," the unnamed redhead had stated. Furrowing his brows, Allen stared at him. His hair was utterly messy but seemed to be somewhat tamed as it was tied backwards with a bandana. He was wearing a dark red shirt with an emerald green L. He also had an eyepatch on his right eye. Call him crazy but Allen was _certain_ that he had seen this guy before. He winked. Or was that a blink? "For me especially."

"You can have her," Ron groaned.

"Allen Walker, meet Lavi Patton," Fred introduced. That must be what the L stood for. "Lavi Patton, meet Allen Walker."

"He's the one who told us that you were a gambler," Georde added.

"I am _not,_ " he responded crossly, sitting down beside Harry and Ron. He began to fill his plate up. "Whatever gave him the notion?"

"An educated guess," Lavi had stated teasingly. Allen frowned at him before deciding to munch contentedly on some mitarashi dango that had appeared by his side. He was just about done with breakfast when Timcanpy came flying in, looking bigger than usual, only to land on the table and spit out yet another card. As Allen reached for the card, he noticed that Tim's size was reduced.

"Did he just..." Ron gawked at Tim.

"Spit all over the food," Harry finished, also staring. "Yes... He did."

Timcanpy gleefully ate the food as Allen opened the card and a folded piece of paper slid out.

 _Sorry this was late. Was adding some touch-ups. Happy Birthday._

 _~Meredith_

He set the card down to open the folded paper. A small smile grew on his lips as he saw that Meredith had hand-drawn what looked to be the stars, settled over a pond and trees. It was beautiful and serene. In fact, it was so realistic that he might be able to imagine the leaves of the tree faintly moving in a cool evening breeze.

"What's this," Ron asked, scooping up the card. Allen's mesmerization immediately shattered and he reached for the card.

"Ronald!"

The redhead had stopped moving and stared open-mouthed at Allen. "It's your birthday!?"

Allen didn't say a thing for a good moment. His face was blank and he was as still as a statue. Finally, he released a soft "Yes."

"A Christmas baby!" Fred exclaimed.

"Who'd have thought," was George only a second behind.

"So lucky," Ron moaned.

"We should celebrate," Percy commented. "If only you were a Gryffindor..."

Their rantings continued. So far, it was only Harry and Lavi who remained silent, both of them noticing how uncomfortable Allen was looking by the moment.

"Guys," he decided to call out.

They wouldn't hear. Fred was practically full of excitement. "George and I will take to the kitchen. We'll bring him to the tower-"

"You will _not,_ " Percy snapped.

"Relax Perce."

"Yeah, it's his birthday."

"Guys," Allen tried again.

"I think it would be cool," Ron stated.

"It's against the rules!"

" _No_."

All eyes fell on Allen as the boy stood abruptly. They couldn't tell what expression was on his face, it was too still and too barren, but they could tell it didn't mean anything good.

"Can we please just act as though this is a normal day? I don't like Christmas and I particularly _don't_ like my birthday."

"Who doesn't like their brithday," Ron demanded.

"Guys, ease up on the little red, would ya," Lavi commented.

A flash of pain shot through Allen's skull like lightening, forcing the boy to clench his jaw as his hand found his temple.

"Are you alright?" Harry questioned, his brows furrowed as he watched his friend.

"Ah, yes, I'm fine." Allen gave the ravenette a smile. "It's just a headache. I think I'll return to my dorm for now."

He left Harry, Lavi and the Weasleys to themselves. Timcanpy wilted as he turned towards Lavi, the redhead flashing him a reassuring smile, before the golem went hurrying after his master.

* * *

The next night, Allen found himself waiting outside the portrait of the Fat Lady. The portrait had swung open, much to Allen's surprise, and he held his wand at ready with his silver orbs flickering suspiciously at the opening.

"It's me," Harry's voice had sounded in front of him. "I'm under an Invisibility Cloak."

"An Invisibility Cloak doesn't protect you from the particularly nasty Hex I had in mind," Allen responded calmly, sliding his wand back into his pocket. "Alright then, let me under. I don't know why you wanted me to meet you in the dead of night."

"I found something," he said excitedly, throwing the cloak over Allen. It turns out that Ron was to be joining them as well, naturally. "My parents. I got to see my parents."

Allen wasn't sure what to make of that but followed nonetheless. Weren't Harry's parents suppose to be dead?

They wandered the halls for at least an hour. Personally, he was starting to think that this was a waste of time. It was really Ron who voiced it. He sounded as though he were about to give up before Harry found the room he was looking for.

"Here it is." He pushed the door open to an unused classroom. Once their cloak was off, Allen shut the door behind them to prevent wandering teachers from finding them. And yet somehow, his skin prickled as though someone was watching.

"Can you see them?" Harry was standing in front of a mirror. _Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi,_ was etched on the frame. Allen stared at the mirror with a frown.

"I only see you, Harry."

"They're here. C'mon, come see for yourself."

Allen approached the mirror cautiously, still hyper aware of the invisible eyes that seemed to track him. He stared into the mirror, half-wondering if he would see Harry's dead parents.

A sharp gasp left his lips and Allen felt that he had taken a huge blow to the chest.

There were people in the mirror but Allen doubted that they were Harry's family. The all had different nationalities. A boy with a gem in his forehead, a coffee-colored man with pale, unseeing eyes and headphones, a man dressed in white with a beret. The list went on. The ones that _really_ captivated his attention were the figures closest to him.

The man on his left seemed middle-aged adorned in a top hat and worn frock coat, his black hair slicked back with a thin mustache on his face. His gold eyes were focused solely on Allen. A small smile played on his lips.

To his right was another man younger by a margain, looking to at least be in his late teens. He was dressed in a fine suit and trench coat. Unlike everyone else in the mirror, his skin was unnaturally gray and his wavy, unkempt black hair hid his forehead from view. Like the other man, his gaze lingered on Allen.

"Neah," he whispered without thought, his hand moving to touch the mirror.

"Allen?" Ron's voice shattered the mirror's hypnotism. "Are you crying?"

The boy pulled his hand from the mirror in favor of touching his cheekbone. Pullling his glove back, Allen could clearly see tears glistening on it.

"Sorry, Harry." His tone came out restricted. He glanced back at the mirror before his silver eyes settled on the wording in the mirror's frame. Etching that into memory, he stepped away. "I don't see your family..."

"What did you see?" Ron questioned curiously.

Allen shook his head. Timcanpy, who was casted backstage for a moment, dug himself into his master's locks as though trying to comfort him.

Later that night, laying on his bed with his gray eyes staring blankly up at the ceiling, his mind focused on the name that he had said.

 _"Do you understand," the teenager, Neah, asked. His tone was soft and gentle, his golden irises flashing with worry. The two of them were in a place surrounded by white building ruins as they stood in a decrepit and debre-filled road. "Being the Earl is overwhelming. As the one who holds the most of the collective Dark Matter and able to hear the cries of the mourning, it will take a toll on your sanity."_

 _"I understand. It's not like I have a choice..." Allen had on a wry smile. "Don't worry, I've survived you."_

 _Neah chuckled. "True, and any lesser man would have succumbed long before now." His expression once more became serious. "I might not be able to do much but I can help a little. When the burden of the Earl is too much for you, I will help. Just call for me whenever. You know I'll be here."_

 _"I know, Neah."_

Tears welled in Allen's eyes but didn't dare fall. The images... a memory? Or had he fallen asleep for a brief moment and woken up?

"Neah."

That one word, a whisper in the dark, rang out loudly in the silence. Even though he doubted, he waited agonizingly for a response. As he expected, one never came.

It made Allen feel worse.

* * *

 _ **~Nagisa Aachan - That'll be explained later on. :D I'm going to be doing all the books so it won't be explained in this arc.**_

 _ **~DragonChild37 - Thank you for reading~.**_

 _ **~MillenniaPhoenix - I'm so curious as to what your theories are.**_


	3. Chapter III (vers 2)

_"Professor?"_

 _Rubeus Hagrid stood in front of the desk as his foot shuffled uncertainly. He was tall for a thirteen year old and certainly one of the most caring that had ever been seen despite his unusual size._

 _"Do you need help with the homework I had given you?" His teacher looked up from his desk with a kind smile. "Or does it have to do with our dear friend?"_

 _"N-no." He held up a small camera in his hands. "I was wonderin' if maybe... Would... C-could you maybe take a picture with me?"_

 _The professor blinked at him a couple of times in surprise before his smile widened. Warmth seemed to ease the nervousness on the boy's face. "I certainly could, Rubeus." He paused and tilted his head. That small action made Rubeus furrow his brows for he knew what that meant. His professor's next words surprised him. "Hm, how about we ask for Professor Dumbledore to join us?"_

 _"Really?" The expectant expression Rubeus held was too bright._

 _"Of course. I'm quite sure that Albus wouldn't refuse." His professor skirted around the desk and began heading towards the door. "We must hurry though. I doubt that he's left his office as of yet but we still must try to catch him before he decides that he is hungry."_

 _An excited Rubeus followed behind him._

* * *

Blurred dreams had Allen waking up in the night with tears staining his cheeks. He would raise his hand, ungloved since he was the only one in the room, to his face to wipe it away.

 _A smile on her face..._

 _Laughter at the table..._

 _The moonlight shining through the window...  
_

 _Neah smirking in amusement..._

Countless other images, mere fragmented flashes that he didn't understand, had played through his subconscious mind. Every part of them felt _familiar._ There was a tug in his chest that pulled the more he thought of it. _Longing,_ he'd eventually realize as he sat up in his bed and held his aching skull in his hands. Whatever the dreams were, whatever they stood for, he found himself wishing for it. Really, he did.

* * *

At the behest of Harry and lack of Ron, the only reason why Allen went back with to the mirror was because he didn't want Harry to go alone. Or at least, that's what he kept telling himself. He had written down the words that were etched into the frame. _Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on woshi._ By writing it backwards and replacing the spaces, it said _I show not your face but your hearts desire._ So he had a pretty good guess on why Harry could see his deceased family. But Allen... he didn't even know what he desired. Why would it show him a face full of people he never knew? And Neah... who was he?

Harry glanced at Allen as they both walked beneath the Invisibility Cloak. As eager as he was to see his parents, he was worried about his friend because Allen had spoken little to anybody today. He had looked distracted every time the ravenette had seen him and, well, somber. He doesn't think he hasn't seen Timcanpy _bother_ flying too far off today either. Even beneath the cloak, the golem was determined to be situated on Allen's head.

As soon as they entered the room though, Harry's worry took backstage as he flew out from under the cloak to stand in front of the mirror. A new and familiar voice sent chills up the ravenette's spine.

"So you two are back again, are you," the voice of Albus Dumbledore had spoken just as Allen pulled the cloak off of him. The snow-headed boy slightly frowned as Harry whipped around.

"Hello Professor." Allen had spoken up when Harry seemed as though he wasn't going to, bowing respectfully. "I didn't take you for a nighttime wanderer."

Dumbledore smiled. "I could say the same. It's strange how nearsighted one could be when invisible."

Allen had quite the talent for marking the position of people, even when he was hardly aware that they were there. No, he thinks the reason why neither of them noticed Dumbledore was because he made himself invisible. Or somehow tricked their senses into believing that he wasn't there.

"So you two, like hundreds before you, have discovered the Mirror of Erised," the Headmaster had continued.

"I didn't know it was called that," piped Harry.

"The Mirror of Desire," Allen murmured. Dumbledore's intelligent eyes seemed to flash approvingly.

"I expect that two realize what it does?"

"It- well- It shows me my family..." Harry drifted off.

"What about you, Mr. Walker?"

Allen's silver gaze flicked over to the words on the mirror. "'I show not your face but your hearts desire'," he quoted after a pregnant silence. "Ronald had seen himself as Head Boy, Harry sees his parents, and I've seen people I've never met..." He turned his gaze sideways, so as to avoid looking at the mirror's reflective surface. "It shows you what you want the most... even if you don't realize it." He paused before turning to face Dumbledore. "Something like this shouldn't be left around uncaringly, Professor. It can drive someone mad."

"Indeed. As you have said, men _had_ been driven mad, not knowing if what they've seen is real or possible. Tell me Allen, have you come here tonight to take a look into the mirror?"

Allen's gaze unbiddenly flicked back to the mirror. Indeed, he wanted to look. He wanted to see those agonizingly familiar faces, their names seeming to be on the tip of his tongue but no matter how hard he tries, he can't say them. At the same time, he did not because it terrified him.

"No sir. Well, yes but no. I didn't come here tonight to long over strangers. I came because Harry had asked me to. I refuse to stop walking over something like an enchanted mirror."

"You've spoken like a wiser person," Dumbledore praised. "Well no matter, this mirror will be moved tomorrow, and I ask for neither of you to look for it again."

* * *

Allen decided to heed Dumbledore's advice. Not because he didn't want to see the mirror, because secretly he did, but because he knew Dumbledore would hide it somewhere they wouldn't think to look. Over the next few days, Allen had the hardest time falling asleep and ended up asking Snape to give him extra lessons during the night in order to distract himself. To his surprise, Snape agreed.

"You seem to want to forget whatever is on your mind," the greasy-haired Professor stated as the boy stayed focused on nothing but his cauldron, trying his hardest to not think about the mirror and the people in it. It was the Neah person who most prevaded his thoughts.

"Is it that obvious," Allen asked, chuckling nervously as he stirred the green potion clockwise and counter-clockwise.

"I've never seen you put much of an effort into focusing on the task at hand in class. Everything comes easy to you."

"Far too easy," he agreed. The potion had turned blue and once the boy had stopped stirring, he poured the crushed moonstone in and it turned purole. Then he lowered the temperature and allowed it to simmer.

Snape had suggested that he should try his hand at making the Draught of Peace. If not to ease his mind now then surely later once he finished the potion. It required being absolutely precise. Allen had to crush the moonstone ahead of time but figured that to keep busy, he would also use the simmering process as time to grind other ingrediants into powder. This was a fifth year potion and Allen didn't find it as hard as anything else he's done.

"I wish I had something more challenging," he admitted, glancing up at the surprisingly patient Snape. He wasn't the jerk everyone expected when he was alone. Then again, Snape was notorious for favoring Slytherin.

"Yes, I was expecting for this to be easy for you," Snape agreed. "If you would be patient, I'm sure that I will be able to come up with a tough potion for you."

Allen beamed. "Really? I wouldn't mind trying."

"Yes well, for now, try focusing on _this_ potion. I believe it turning pink means that you need to add another ingrediant."

"The powdered quills." That had been added to the cauldron. "Thank you Professor."

They talked back and forth through the night about the aspects of potion-making. Later, when Allen took a sip of his draught, he was surprised to find when it didn't quite affect him. Snape inspected the potion carefully before trying it himself and stated that it was done perfectly.

He ended up moving around like a zombie the next day. It was the last day of the holidays and Ron was gawking at Allen as though he had an extra head.

"You _purposely_ asked Snape to make potions?"

"What's wrong with that?" Allen frowned as he brought some scrambled eggs onto his plate. Once more, Tim didn't stray too far as he gobbled up food from the tables on his own. The Gryffindors sitting there sighed, more than use to the golem by now.

"Um, lets see. Potions are nonesense, Snape's the biggest _git_ in the school, and _oh,_ he's the Head of those slimy Slytherin bastards."

"It doesn't mean that he's _bad._ Okay yes, he shows favoritism to Slytherin and it disgusts me but Snape knows what he's doing for his profession. Also, potions are _not_ nonesense. They're good to do when you need a distraction."

"What do you need a distraction from? Almost every time I see you, you're smiling!"

"Well I'm not right now, aren't I? Now if you excuse me, there's a tree that I need to visit. Tim, are you coming?"

Harry and Ron glanced at each other as Allen got out of his seat and stalked off with his golem not too far behind.

* * *

The holidays were over and not even a week back at school, Allen had found Draco in the hallway on the way to the library with a Leg-Locked Neville. The ravenette was on the ground, staring wide-eyed at the snickering Slytherin and the wand in his hand.

"Gryffindor is _pathetic,_ " Draco sneered. "It's for the brave, isn't it? And yet here you are. A coward."

A voice spoke out. The tone was as cold as ice and far more hard than any stone Neville had tripped on. It had taken a few seconds for everyone present to even recognize who it was. For a brief moment, the Gryffindor had seen a flash of white hair and thought that a vengeful spirit was watching over him. His own guardian angel. Instead, it was Allen Walker.

" _Locomotor Mortis._ "

That was the same spell Draco had used. Sure enough, the Slytherins' legs ended up bound together with magic and he ended up faceplanting the floor. And then Allen was helping Neville up, concern written all over his face.

"Are you alright?" he inquired. Neville's face grew hot. He was a coward, needing help to get out of a situation like this.

"I-I'm fine," he stuttered, wishing that he could be out of everyone's line of sight. Although he didn't mind Malfoy's current state. It became even more enjoyable when Allen casted _Levicorpus_ and the blonde ended up hanging upside-down by his ankles, blood stemming from his nose and dripping onto the floor.

"Allen!" Draco howled, frantically waving his arms. "Let me down _this instant._ "

"I don't take orders from you," the Slytherin responded flatly. It wasn't the same cold, harsh tone he had used earlier but it didn't give one good vibes either. "You've also seemed to have forgotten that I don't _like_ bullying. Can you not see how Slytherin got it's horrible reputation? Or are you that keen to be loathed all your life?"

"Put me dow-"

" _Rictumsempra._ "

Draco began laughing hysterically. Allen turned his attention to Neville, who was thoroughly enjoying the scene and had a small smile on his face. Vincent and Gregory had yet to move, possibly thinking about the last time Allen had beaten them in a fight. It won't take their mediocre brains long for them to kick into gear and settle on attacking.

"Come on. Hop with me and I'll make sure that you don't fall. I apologize but I have yet to learn the counter-curse to this."

Neville nodded and the two made their way down the hall. Students were careful to stay out of the way. Possibly because they were afraid that Allen would curse them next. Either way, no one followed as they walked.

"Thank you..." Neville couldn't look at Allen without embarrassment. "I'm sorry for causing you trouble."

"It's certainly no problem." The Slytherin smiled at him.

"He's right though..." The ravenette stayed focused on the ground. "Why am I in Gryffindor? I don't have any courage. Not like the others."

To his surprise, Allen hummed as he seemed to actually mull it over. "Maybe that's why."

"Huh?" Neville whipped his head to stare at him with wide, hurt eyes.

"You're not like the others. There are more than one way to have courage." The Slytherin smiled reassuringly. "Most Gryffindors seem to show it on the outside. They can come across as arrogant sometimes when you see it from an outsiders' view. But there's another sort of bravery that I think is more important."

"W-what is it?"

"Inner strength." At Neville's confused look, Allen continued speaking. "It's what most people call self-confidence. To believe in yourself and keep walking forwards, no matter what obsticle comes your way. While you might not show much bravery _outside,_ I think that you might have plenty inside."

"I don't think so. I don't believe in myself much."

"And yet your determined to do your best at everything, no matter how awful you are at the subject or how terrible people are to you." Neville was silent. "You don't need to think on it much if you don't want to. However, I do believe that inner strength is more important than outer."

They didn't say much to each other the rest of the way. Neville was busy mulling over what was said in his mind and Allen was letting him. When they reached the portrait, Neville uttered the password and it swung open.

"Do you need help getting in or..."

"I got it," the round-face boy stated. He gave a weak smile to Allen. "I don't think we want the Gryffindors spelling both of us."

"If that's what you want."

Neville left his stable pillar behind in an effort to hop into the hole of the portrait. He made it there with no problem but trying to get in... He tripped over the step and faceplanted the floor on the other side. Allen paused for a split moment before entering the Commons in order to help him back up.

"What's a _Sl_ _ytherin_ doing here," a Gryffindor immediately hissed. The size of the female made the male think that she was in her first year. At her words, heads turned over and even those that knew who Allen was glared dangerously.

"Allen?" And here had come Harry and his group, all of them wearing various expressions of surprise. "What are you doing in here?"

"Helping Neville of course." The mentioned boy swayed before steadying himself by wrapping an arm over Allen's shoulder. "Draco had given him a Leg-Locked Curse and I'm afraid that I don't know the spell to counter it."

As he spoke, Hermione was quick to mutter the spell and Neville was free, to his utter relief. "You should have seen Allen, you guys. He one-upped Malfoy!"

"Doesn't mean he should be here," that same girl sneered.

"I'm sorry." Allen faced her with a pleasant smile. "Were you going to help your Housemate back to his feet?"

"Why would I? I don't know him."

"Exactly. It's because you lack the human decency to help anyone besides yourself unless they mean something to you." He turned away, sending a big _"this conversation is over"_ to her. She looked utterly flabbergasted. "Neville, please inform me if anyone bullies you. I'll be more than happy to help."

The boy gaped. Allen must actually be his guardian angel. An angel in human flesh. "O-okay."

After bidding Neville, Harry and his friends, as well as a recently arrived Fred and George farewell, he stepped back through the portrait hole and left.

It wasn't until a few days later when yet another group of Slytherin, third years by the looks like, were bullying Neville down the same hallway Allen was coincidentally walking . People finally got to see _how_ the normally polite and mild-mannered boy was in Slytherin. A dark aura accompanied with with a series of wordless spells and a flick of the wand delivered with the most angelic smile anyone has ever seen from him, the Slytherins were sent screaming and running away. There was no visible marking on their skin but since then, they were completely terrified of the white-headed boy. And no one knew what it was he did.

"What did you do," Neville would asked when Allen helped him get back to his feet.

"Oh, I merely showed them the consequences of their actions."

He didn't elaborate. And Longbottom didn't ask any further.

* * *

Allen had come to realize that he was the last to be informed about... Well, pretty much everything. Flammel, Snape's coversation with Quirrel, Ron's brawl with Draco. Hermione had found out that Nicholas Flammel was the alchemist that created the Elixir of Life and, in essence, the Philosopher's Stone.

 _A blood red gem sparkled dangerously in the withered hands of it's creator._

However, that Stone (most likely being the object hidden in the trap door with the Cerberus) was the least of Allen's worries. He was more concerned with the note he had just recieved from an owl at breakfast.

 _"It's hatching."_

And that was that. There was no name but Allen recognized that messy handwriting as Hagrid's and that was an immediate cause for concern. If Fluffy, that three-headed dog, was a _pet_ of Hagrid's, then what in the name of Merlin could he have that would be hatching?

Frowning at the list of possibilities, the Slytherin was just about to take a bite from his mitarashi dango when Draco sat down beside him with an aura of excitement.

"You know, don't you," the Malfoy had asked.

"Know what?" was Allen's response as he turned his attention towards him and raised an eyebrow.

"That Hagrid has a _dragon._ "

His tone had fallen no more that to a barely audible whisper and yet Allen heard it loud and clear. His dango slipped from his fingers and the sauce splattered when it hit the plate. Draco's eyes flashed with realization. "You didn't know, did you? I heard Weasley himself going on about it."

"Is that so?" His mercury irises flicked over to the Gryffindor table where Harry and Ron were giving suspicious glances to Draco. Hermione herself was glancing Allen's way with worry. "Excuse me."

He could sense the smugness radiating from Draco as he left. Harry and Ron made the mistake of glancing away when he had gotten up. Imagine their surprise when they turned back to the Slytherin table to find the white-headed boy gone.

"Is there anything you would like to tell me?"

Harry stiffened while Ronald paled, the Trio snapping their gaze over to Allen guiltily as he stood before them with his arms crossed. The way he was positioned made Harry think of those parents he would see after his Muggle school let out. They'd have that same expression as they stared down at their child. Back then, he did not realize what the importance of that was but now that the guilt he felt bloomed, Harry understood it's purpose.

He guessed that the three of them had been quiet for too long as Allen narrowed his eyes. "I'm sure that it had to do with a certain _pet_."

"...I forgot to tell you," Harry had eventually admitted. His green eyes drifted to the floor. "Hagrid came into the library one day when we were studying and.. I forgot."

"You just forgot." Allen dropped his hands to his side and sighed. He was aware of how busy they had been. The homework the teachers were giving them have increased drastically. It was also bad enough that he asked for Snape to give him homework regarding the extra time he spent in his Head's dungeon with the potions. "It's fine. Next time however, please inform me if something like this is to happen again. Hagrid's job as of now is in jeopardy. I'll see if I can talk to him about finding his pet a new home."

"That'd be nice, Allen," Hermione responded with a smile. He nodded in return and ended up walking to the entrance of the Great Hall. Missing classes wouldn't be too detrimental to his grades since he could finish them all with alarming ease.

"Wheeew, you guys got lucky."

Harry turned his attention to Fred and George's Ravenclaw friend, Lavi. This time he was sitting next to an Asian Gryffindor girl with her long, black hair tied up into pigtails. She smiled forlornly at Allen's back as he strode off.

"What do you mean," Harry asked.

"Depending on your answer, you could have made the Beansprout really mad. He doesn't exactly like it when friends keep something from him without good reason. Isn't that right, Lenalady?"

The girl beside him hummed in response.

"Of course, it's normally difficult to tell when Allen _is_ mad at someone," he hummed. "It's the small things that give it away; reverting to formally polite speech, occasional snide comments, ignoring someone unless they actually stand with him face-to-face."

"He's always polite anyways," Ron stated. "How the bloody hell are we to know when that changes?"

"Look, all I'm just saying is that if he gets mad at you, apologize. Just don't make him mad enough to where..." He hesitated and looked around before leaning closer to the group. They all edged on their seats to catch his whisper. "To where _Black_ Allen comes out."

" _Black_ Allen?" Hermione looked confused as ever. "Why black?"

"Shhh! Not so loud!" Lavi's visible eye flickered around the Hall. "You might summon him or something."

"Lavi..." the girl looked both annoyed _and_ exhasperated. "For the last time, he's not a demon."

"You and Chaozii didn't get the full brunt of Black Allen's aura," the redhead insisted. "You know how the other Kro-chan was; he didn't get scared of _anything._ And yet even _he_ feared Black Allen. That's not natural."

"Do you two know Allen well," Harry inquired.

"Well I'd like to think so." Lavi held his hands behind his head and grinned broadly but it seemed... a little sad. "Right now, I probably know him better than he knows himself."

* * *

"A dragon, Mr. Hargid. _Really_?"

Allen stood in front of the hut with his arms crossed and a rather disapproving expression. Alarm flashed through Hagrid's face as he wildly glanced around. After ushuring him and side and shutting the door, the large man was peeking cautiously through his curtains.

"Yeh didn' have teh say it so loud," he muttered as the drapes fell back in place. "Wha' if someone were listenin'?"

"There was no one around, Mr. Hagrid. No hidden spells, invisible potions, or even invisible cloaks." And yes, Allen figured that he was pretty good telling when someone was staring at him when he was suppose to be alone. Feeling their eyes on him was like a sixth sense. "Returning to the problem at hand." He motioned towards the fireplace. A black egg with a noticeable crack was beginning to spread on it. "A _dragon_? Do you really want to be exiled from Hogwarts? Those are illegal."

"I know, I jus'..." The large man looked somberly at the egg. Allen felt for him, really, he did, but he suspected that egg to a Norwegian Ridgeback going by the smooth ebony of the shell. They were pretty poisonous. "I always did wan' a dragon."

"Do you even know what sort of dragon it is?"

"Well, er, a Norwegian Ridgeback. It's rare, isn' it?" Hagrid was beginning to look uncomfortable.

"It is. It's also one of the more dangerous dragons you could have gotten. It's bite is _poisonous._ "

"I'm sure tha' it'll be alrigh'. I'll jus' teach him not teh bite."

Allen went to go pinch the bridge of his nose. "You can't just teach a dragon how to not bite. It's their instincts and I honestly doubt-" He cut off when he noticed a picture sitting casually on the table. There was an auburn-haired Dumbledore in the picture on the right with a significantly younger Hagrid. It took a moment to see without the long hair and beard but the boy still had Hagrid's dark eyes. _And_ he was already a mammoth for his age. To his left stood a male that looked to be from late teens to early twenties, resting his hand on Hagrid's shoulder. Allen felt a jolt when he noticed the white hair, pulled back into a small ponytail with his fringe framing his face. His eyes were closed as he donned a closed-eyed smile as well as a vest over a white button-up and red ribbon tie. The scar on the left side of his face was very much like Allen's own and Timcanpy was sitting on his head.

"Mr. Hagrid... What is that?"

His gloved fingers picked up the photograph. Hagrid himself was frozen, as though he were a child with his hand caught in the cookie jar.

"This looks like... me..."

He turned to look at Hagrid with narrowed eyes. "What is this? Why is an older _me_ in this photo?"

"I'm not allowed ter say."

"'Not allowed to say'..." he murmured back. There was really only _one_ person that giant man might listen to. "My dreams are full of things I don't understand. I can walk the halls of Hogwarts with ease, Hagrid. I can barely go _anywhere_ without getting lost. And the mirror held so many _familiar_ faces I've never seen. And now I find a picture of myself with a younger you." He pressed a hand against his temple as it began to throb. His kept staring at the picture. "Is it reincarnation?"

 _A boy with long black hair laying on a slab with symbols. Screams left his lips as his body was electricuted._

Allen closed his eyes as his skull throbbed even more. "Artificial perhaps? A clone?"

 _A bright green light heading his way._

 _" **Allen**!"_

He was now leaning against the table with his head aching something awful.

"Allen? Yeh alrigh'?" Hagrid was by his side with his black eyes full of worry.

"How... How did I die?"

"I'm not sure wha' yeh talkin' abou-"

He was cut off with a warning glare from Allen. He looked away guiltily before taking a seat. "Might' wanna sit down then. I don' want yeh fallin' or anything."

Allen took a deep breath as though that would quell himself and his hurting brain. Regardless, he did take a seat in front of the uncomfortable Hagrid.

"Er, abou' twelve years ago, yeh were left on the doorsteps of tha' Orphanage. If yeh recall, twelve years ago was also when Harry's parents were killed."

"What does Harry's parents have to do with this?"

"Tha' night when You-Know-Who had gone ter kill his parents, there was one person there tha' he had ter kill first. 'Cause he got in his way, yeh see." Hagrid paused in hesitation. "His name was Allen Walker."

"..."

"Yeh, tha's you. 'Cept yeh didn' die, see? Fer some reason, the Killing Curse turned yeh into a baby. I dunno why he didn' kill yeh after. Sen'iment maybe, if You-Know-Who feels stuff like tha'. Yeh were his teacher. An' a strong an' powerful wizard too. I dunno wha' happen, Allen. Dumbledore thinks tha' maybe yeh somehow countered it."

 _Or survived it,_ the boy thought as he brought his hand towards his scar. Harry had a curse scar. And this one has been crimson for as long as he remembering with no insinuation that the color would fade in the slightest.

"Yeh had tha' when I firs' saw yeh. Told me tha' it was a curse tha' allowed yeh ter see demons. Er - Akuma, yeh called them."

 _A large, egg-shaped machine with cannons sticking out in every way possible. All of them were twisted impossibly in his direction. in the front of the machine was a white face. In the center of the forehead, just above it's bulging eyes, was a reverse five-pointed star. It's mouth was open and showing the black pit inside as if it were silently screaming. The expression... it was twisted into absolute agony._

Allen grit his teeth as his head flared up in pain once more. His right hand curled into a fist from where it rested on his lap.

"And... Neah?" He shoved the pain from his thoughts to focus on what he considered more important. "What about Neah?"

"Neah..." He appeared to hesitate before seeing the daring look in Allen's eyes. "I don' know much abou' him. Jus' that yeh two were two souls sharin' yeh body. He came ou' some times. He was a good person. Taught everyone well enough. It's jus' when he los' his temper really bad."

"His temper?"

"It was the shortes' fuse I've ever seen. He was calm 'bout pretty much everythin' and found mischief funny. But when someone had died the night tha' he was in control, almos' half the school had ter be fixed. Didn' like her death, see."

 _The walls of the castle flew by in a blur. He could catch glimpses of something rounding every corner he managed to chase down. Purple light began to fill his hand as his eyes narrowed dangerously. "Get **back** here, you bloody snake!" With that serving as a warning, he threw the light. It missed by a margain and instead took out the entire castle wall, showing the night sky outside. Another collection of purple light filled his palm once more. "I **said** to get **back**!" He threw it again. Another wall went out._

"I do," was Allen's mumble as, despite the headache, he smiled. Then that smile went away when knocking sounded on the door.

"It's Harry, Ron, an' Hermione," the large man stated as he peeked out the window.

"Ah, I better be leaving then." Allen got up off his seat.

"Are yeh sure?" Hagrid's eyes scanned him up and down. "Yeh don't look so good."

"It's just a headache." He held the picture out to him. "Please do not let them see this. I don't want anyone to know." A pause. "That includes Professor Dumbledore. Not yet, at least."

"...Alrigh'. I won' breath a word."

"Thank you." He shot one glance at the egg in the fireplace. Something that he had forgotten about. "Be _careful_ with that, Mr. Hagrid. It's harder to keep people from looking as opposed to raising it, which would also be exceptionally difficult."

He opened the door and slipped outside. The Gryffindors blinked in bafflement.

"Allen," had spoken up Hermione. "What are you doing here?"

"Visiting Mr. Hagrid of course."

"Did the dragon already hatch?" questioned Harry.

"Ah, not yet. But it seems just about."

"You're not staying?" went Ron.

"No. I'm afraid that I need to stop by the Hospital Wing and see if Madam Pomfrey has anything for migraines." Hermione furrowed her brows as concern darted across her face. "Mr. Hagrid refuses to listen to me about the dangers both to him and others that a dragon brings but perhaps you three can convince him."

And with that, Allen squeezed past them and began heading back to the castle. He doubted that they could change the large man's mind. He pressed his hand against his face as he thought over the memories that he had seen They did agitate his brain more.

 _Maybe the memories are what's causing it,_ he theorized as he walked. _Hagrid said that I didn't die but... reverted? In that case, could my memories have suppressed themselves?_

"That would make a _lot_ of sense," he quietly said to himself. "I wonder if they were suppressed because of my reversion." His mind fell back up to two more recent memories he had. The Akuma and that... long-haired boy.

The boy was obviously _not_ him. For one, his hair was black. Allen didn't have black hair. Two, he was Asian. Allen was British. And he seemed to be getting electricuted by _magic._

Then the Akuma. The very thing gave Allen a sense of _wrongness._ It was something that shouldn't exist. Something that caused pain and held it's own. Destruction and mayhem. These were really the only two memories that surfaced that seemed _bad_ as opposed to the longing he felt with the other ones. It left a bad taste in his mouth and he had a gut feeling that those two events belonged to a mass collection of _more_ bad things. With that in mind, Allen wondered...

Did he _really_ want to remember?

* * *

About roughly three weeks later they managed to get Hagrid to give up Nobert (even though Allen didn't have the heart to tell a delighted Hagrid that his dragon's temperment instead meant that she was female). Allen _and_ Ron had managed to get bit by her during one of their visits. Noberta had latched her fangs onto Ron's hand and Allen tried to remove her quickly before she lashed out and dug her fangs _deeply_ into his left arm.

"Mr. Hagrid," he had stated calmly as Ron gawked at Nobert tugging on it. "Can you _please_ get Nobert off my arm. I believe I mentioned that their bite is poisonous."

Ron blanched while Hagrid quickly removed her and scolded both Ron for scaring her and Allen for mishandling her.

"Yes well, we'll be leaving now." Allen nudged Ron towards the door.

"She bit pretty deep," the Griffindor went. "Doesn't that hurt?"

"I can't feel it," Allen answered. Ron's eyes widened. "Now let's get to Madam Pomfrey. As much as I would hate to go, those fangs _are_ poisonous. I believe we have about five weeks until our limbs are rendered useless."

"We can wait about five weeks, right?" He laughed nervously. "Just until Charlie gets the dragon."

The Slytherin stared at him for a long time before sighing. "Yes, I believe we can wait."

As it turns out, they couldn't wait. The venom spread faster than he anticipated (he bet wandering the stairs to get from class to class had increased bloodflow and spread the poison quicker) and Ron could no longer pick up his quill. Allen's limb didn't look any worse than it had before and he didn't have a bite wound so he lied and said that he had been to the infirmary beforehand. The _last_ thing he needed was those guys grilling him about something he didn't understand. Either way, the dragon had gone with Harry and both he and Draco ended up getting detention with McGonagall. That detention ended up with the two of them helping Hagrid in the Forbidden Forest where, according to Harry, a couple of unicorns had been killed and their blood drank.

Only a monster would kill a unicorn. Those creatures were the epitome of magic and purity. And if the lips of anything ever touches the blood of a unicorn, they would get its benefits but also be cursed to live a half-life.

Exams rolled around quickly. Allen skipped his own study session with the Golden Trio when he could help it and would often spend his free time with Draco in the Commons, talking to the squid in the lake, dodging the Whomping Willow (and later healing the scratches with some spells he found), or helping Neville study for his own exams while using the library to comb it for anything relating to Akuma. The poor boy was always nervous and the library came their frequent place to visit where he would tell Hermione that he _was_ studying (a blatant lie). Thankfully Neville got the hint and played along with his 'guardian angel'.

 _Nothing,_ Allen thought as he placed a large book he had gotten back onto the shelves.

"What are you searching for?"

He snapped his head over to see Hermione also pulling a book off the shelf. She looked at him curiously.

At first he might have said that he was searching for a book before a realization fell on him. Hermione was like a Magic Encyclopedia. "Do you know anything about Akuma?"

"Akuma?"

"They're large egg-shaped machines. A foot or two taller than Hagrid and maybe just as big but with cannon barrels facing everywhere. The front of the machine has a face that looks as though it's screaming." He looked back at the shelves. "It's Dark magic. I'm sure of it."

"..."

"You know what, nevermind." He smiled apologetically at Hermione. "Forget I said anything. I doubt that Quirrel would accept it for extra credit anyways."

Neville's panicked voice could be heard calling for Allen not a second after. He tilted his head slightly before his smile softened. "I'll be there in a second," he responded. Then he left Hermione to stand there.

* * *

"I think Snape will take the Stone tonight."

Allen looked at Harry from where he stood with a raised eyebrow. The others had mentioned their thoughts in Snape's loyalty but he severely doubted that the Slytherin Head would _actually_ try anything against Dumbledore. Regardless...

"Tonight?"

"Yes."

"Then let's go."

And that's how they ended up watching a fleeing Peeves as he stammered apologies at Allen. Timcanpy had stuck to Allen's head as Ron flicked his gaze over to him.

"Okay, what in the bloody name of Merlin did you _do_ to him?" Ron gaped. "He's more terrified of _you_ than he is the Bloody Baron."

"I don't know." He frowned as he watched the poltergeist take off. Perhaps he was scared of the past Allen? He shook his head and turned towards the door. "Come on. If someone has beaten us past Fluffy then we have no choice but to hurry. They might have the Stone."

" _Snape_ might have the Stone," Ron corrected.

Allen didn't respond. Did they truly _know_ if it was Snape? If so, why was he so willing to give extra lessons for potions? Did he _actually_ try to kill Harry? There were so many unknown variables that he couldn't make heads or tails if it was true or not.

The door opened and Fluffy was already growling. Allen had taken Harry's flute, crafted finely enough, and played whatever could come to mind. All eyes were focused on him with astonishment and he gave them a look that said _"what?"_

"I didn't know you can play the flute," Hermione whispered as Harry opened the trapdoor. He shrugged in response. He hadn't known either.

Harry hopped into the hole first. At his words, Ron followed suit. Then Hermione. Allen hopped into the trapdoor shortly after, Fluffy beginning to wake up immediately after he stopped.

He ended up landing in a large, squishy mass. A bad feeling filled his gut and that led to him _just_ being able to move to safety. It seems he wasn't the only one that listened to his instincts, as Hermione stayed a good enough away from the squishy thing as well.

 _'The Devil's Snare,'_ a small voice whispered. Allen started in surprise, his body stiffening at something that was _entirely_ new. Timcanpy had tucked himself comfortably in Allen's robes and a quick glance around informed him that he was the only one that heard the voice. Hermione herself was reciting a poem.

The Devil's Snare. What did he know about it?

From what he knew, it was a plant that liked damp and cold places that strangled their victims. The opposite of damp and cold would be heat and dryness so what he would need is-

 _'Fire.'_

He jolted as the voice once more spoke up. His lips twitched as he held out his wand.

 _"Incendio."_

Flames sprouted from his wand and licked the plant. The tendrils shied away almost immediately and soon, Harry and Ron were free.

"Thanks," the ravenette managed.

"Let's keep going," Allen ordered. And they continued through a door.

The first thing Allen noticed were wings flapping. Timcanpy was snug in his pocket so it wasn't him. Instead there were hundred of keys whizzing through the air with...

Yes, _wings._ On _keys._

He really wasn't surprised by what magic could do at this point.

Allen was utterly helpless on this task and both he as well as Harry knew it. So when Ron asked why Allen wasn't helping them catch the key, they evaded the issue by reminding Ron of the task at hand.

After that was Wizard's Chess.

He never liked chess. He wasn't _bad_ at the game per se. In fact, he proved to Ron that he could hold his own for a while. It's just... he didn't like the idea of _sacrificing_ pieces. Ron enjoyed it because he thought of it as a war between two kingdoms. It had strategy and involved quick thinking. And when he mentioned it that way, that's how Allen ended up seeing it. The animate figures showed this little war in a brighter light than he thought and it left a bad taste in his mouth.

That was the last time he had played chess. When Ron asked why he wasn't going to play again, Allen stated that he didn't particularly _like_ war. Even pretend. And now Ron was feeling guilty about teasing him about it.

Hermione had taken the castle, Harry the bishop, and Allen the queen.

"We need the luck of the Christmas baby so you'll be the queen," Ron stated with a weak chuckle. An attempted joke that was awful to even his own ears. Regardless, Allen agreed. He was going to be the one that the opposing pieces would try to take out. It was better him than anyone else.

Ron had instead ended up sacrificing himself for Allen to checkmate. After ensuring that he would be well enough to last until they returned (Hermione and Harry were astounded and relieved by Allen's knowledge of healing spells), the remaining three continued on.

 _'If you had Crown Clown, he wouldn't have needed to play,'_ the voice whispered in his ear. Allen felt his face twitch at the briefest mention of those two words. _Crown Clown._

A white image, a cloaked figure with a silver mask, flicked through his mind as they happened upon a downed troll.

"Snape got to it before us," Harry said as Allen subconsciously rubbed his temple where the familiar and annoying ache was beginning to appear.

They continued onwards to the next room. It didn't have flying keys, animate chess pieces, or an unconscious troll. In fact, Allen wasn't even sure what sort of room it was meant to be. The floor itself seemed to be made of stone slabs that seem to look very much like playing cards. And they were all standing on a blank tile with a door across from them.

" _'_ Low to high and you will not die,'" Hermione read. "'Twos and threes add up to five.' And there's more... What is this? Why _cards?_ "

 _'Albus has a sense of humor,'_ the voice commented in amusement. _'Now come on. You know this.'_

Allen studied the words on the other side of the room. He didn't know much about cards. In fact, he can't recall ever playing it. But if this strange voice seems confident then maybe...

 _Low to high and you will not die._

 _Twos and threes add up to five._

 _We are all a sequence. All of the same._

 _We four hold the same rank to our names._

 _All of us royals in the same line._

 _We're of the same suit but not of any kind._

He didn't understand the first line. Low to high. Floor to ceiling or is it talking about something else? Obviously it would negate their death if- _when_ they figured it out.

 _Twos and threes add up to five._ Twos and threes... Cards... What cards made five that needed twos and threes?

 _It would need a pair and a three-of-a-kind,_ he realized. "A full house."

"Allen?" Both the Gryffindors were staring at the boy. He motioned to the riddle.

"'Twos and threes add up to five.' It's a full house."

Understanding flashed in Hermione's face. She had Muggle parents, so she seemed to get what he was talking about. Harry on the other hand had probably never even got to play much with cards thanks to his horrid relatives. As Allen said, he's never played in his life but he _had_ watched others play.

"'All in a sequence. All in the same'," Hermione repeated. "What's in a sequence? How is it the same?"

Allen hummed and closed his eyes as he concetrated. A sequence was something in a particular order. The same... In an order but the same...

"Straight flush." His eyes snapped over to her. "We have a full house and a straight flush."

"And a four-of-a-kind," Hermione commented. "That next one is pretty obvious. It's based on poker and only five cards are allowed in hand. _'We four hold the same rank.'_ "

"The _'royals'_ gives away the next bit," he added. "Royal flush."

" _'Of the same suit but not of any kind'._ " She smiled. "A normal flush."

"A full house, a straight flush, four-of-a-kind, royal flush, and a flush." Allen hummed. "Those are the most important hands if the game, aren't they? A royal flush being the highest."

"Oh! _That's_ what it meant from low to high." The girl's eyes sparkled as Harry looked between the two in confusion. "Out of them all, the flush is the lowest."

"So a flush, full house, four-of-a-kind, a straight flush, _then_ the royal flush."

"Which means that we have to _walk_ on these in a certain order."

The trio blinked as they turned to face the slabs. The stone card faces seemed to look at them mockingly. They had to walk on those in the order the riddle wanted?

It took more time than Allen would like. Even mapping where all these cards might link up took thinking. And then an accidental step sent one of the slabs plummeting below into an abyss. Hermione and Harry had visibly paled when they saw that death here would be more quicker than any other room they visited.

Thankfully they made it through anyways. Then this room became full of fire.

Hernione dismantled _this_ riddle easily enough. It was Snape's puzzle. After she selected the correct bottles, it took them a moment to realize that there were only two. It took some convincing on Allen's part to have Hermione head back to Ron. Harry seemed amendment on going forwards. When she went back through the purple fire and Harry through the black, Allen found himself pacing back and forth with irritation. He didn't _like_ standing by.

 _'Try invoking Crown Clown.'_

"What?" Allen stopped moving and snapped his gaze to the black flames.

 _'Your Innocence. It'll allow you to get through the fire. You just have to call her...'_

"...Crown Clown."

He waited. To be honest, Allen felt silly saying the words outloud. He was talking to _nothing_ and was calling out strange words. It made him glad that he was alone.

 _'No wonder why she won't activate...'_ The voice seemed a little... somber. _'You're resolve isn't the same.'_

"What's that suppose to mean," he demanded grumpily. He normally didn't show his emotion like this but he was alone, tired, and downright irritated. He disliked feeling _helpless._

 _'The right hand is to save humans. The left is to save Akuma.'_

Akuma. Those horrid creatures in his memories. Allen automatically straightened.

A shout immediately distracted Allen from his thoughts. His silver-gray eyes snapped over to the black flames where it had come from. Almost immediately, he cursed himself. He had forgotten that there was a threat down here. _Someone_ wanted the Stone and he let Harry go on ahead.

 _'Wait-!"_

Too late. Before Allen was even conscious of what he was doing, he found himself leaping into the flames. At first he hardly noticed. But when the flames licked his skin, it _sucked._ He didn't have long until those black tongues began to devour him. He had to get to Harry and he really hoped that the voice was right about Crown Clown.

"Activate," he hissed, trying to keep from crying out as the fire danced around him. It was hard to breath and he couldn't see. "Activate already!"

He was burning up.

At the same time, a scream filled the air. Allen grit his teeth and focused all he could on his godforsaken hand. "Dammit, c'mon already!"

Nothing.

* * *

Quirrel's fingers were blistering. All this time, Harry thought it was Snape trying to kill him but it had been _Quirrel._ That snivelling, stuttering man he had first met in the Leaky Cauldron.

He was Voldemort's accomplice.

After retrieving the Stone from his reflection in the Mirror of Erised, Quirrel had tried grabbing him. It resulted in both of them being in pain but Quirrel himself was the one that gotten the worst from it. Before Harry could even think of returning to the fire (how ironic that the prospect of burning seemed more appealing than Quirrel), he was tackled. Thin but strong hands encompassed the ravenette's throat for a mere few seconds before Quirrel pulled away in agony. At Voldemort's insistence, the man pulled out his wand and pointed it at Harry.

Something white wrapped around Quirrel's wrist. Before either of them knew what was happening, a boot landed right in the professor's face. An audible crunch could be heard as he fell away and Allen was by Harry's side moments later.

"Harry, are you alright?"

"Allen? Wha-"

He was going to ask how the boy got through the fire when he noticed that Allen looked pretty different. He was clad in this white cloak that shifted constantly as though it had a mind of it's own and his own hair had seemed to become spiky. And his eye... the one with the scar... a gear-shaped monocle seemed to flow in front of it. The sclera was jet black, making the gray iris stand out like a silver flame as a crimson five-pointed star seemed to replace the pupil. And it took a moment for Harry to realize that his skin was an aggravated shade of red and some of Allen's clothing looked scorched. Did he... hop into the fire?

 _"So you're still alive,"_ Voldemore rasped from behind Quirrel. _"I should have killed you when I had the chance, Walker."_

"Yes," Allen responded coolly as he straightened up. He didn't seem pained by his injuries. "Thank you for your sentiment, Voldemort. Turn around, Quirrel. I want to see you're master's pathetic face. His soul is disgusting to stare at."

"Do _not_ talk about my master like that, you filth-"

Whatever Quirrel was going to say, he was cut off. The reason for that being, and yes, Harry was surprised too, was the fact that Allen seemed to _appear_ in front of Quirrel and kicked him in the gut. The older man was gaping as he held his abdomen. When he looked up to glare, he paled when Allen lifted his left hand.

The hand that had been paralyzed all year... It took the form of a slender black arm with razor sharp claws for fingers. They didn't even seem able to bend but looked nasty to get cut by. Harry gulped when he noticed that each finger was longer than his arm.

"I'm not in the mood for pleasantries Quirrel. Two of my friends are injured because of you." He paused, tilting his head slightly as he stared down at the quivering man. Then he pulled out his wand. "Perhaps I should perform the Killing Curse on you."

 _"You wouldn't,"_ Voldemort responded. _"You don't like killing."_

"There's a difference between not liking and not doing it." Harry blinked as Allen's tone became mocking. "Twelve years is a _long_ time, you know. What if I just changed my mind? I'm sure that I could exorcise your pathetic soul if I wanted."

 _"Kill Potter now!"_

Neither Allen nor Harry were prepared for Quirrel to suddenly spring to life. He knocked Allen aside and grabbed his wand. The white-headed boy was back in an instant as he wrestled with Quirrel for the wand. Seeing his chance, Harry flung himself at the teacher. The Professor began to scream.

"Harry!"

He didn't know how long he was there pressing his hands to Quirrel's face. His skull burned and vision blurred but he wouldn't let Quirrel go. Not yet. He could feel Allen trying to yank him off but he fought and held on. Quirrel couldn't be free yet. He would hold on even if he passed out.

Something white yanked Harry off and let him linger on the ground. He tried to get up and protest but his energy seemed to have left him. Allen was there seconds after with worry on his face.

"Harry?" His blurry vision swam and began to fade in and out of blackness. "Harry, stay with me! Harry!"

He fade away into the darkness.

* * *

Dumbledore had found them.

Allen sat next to Harry's bed with bandaged covering some burns on his face and neck. They were in the Hospital Wing. Normally, Madam Pomfry would just slap some magic on Allen and he would be good to go in a half hour but for some reason, it didn't seem to be working.

 _'You're Innocence woke up,'_ the voice commented. Allen was annoyed to see that it was present. _'Magic works even less on you than it had before. Less, but powerful_ _magic_ will _still affect you.'_

Like the Killing Curse had apparently.

"I'm glad that you were with him," Dumbledore admitted quietly as his blue eyes scanned the unconscious boy. Allen shifted his gaze over to him. He hadn't had the opportunity to speak with him before. "It could have turned out very differently."

Allen doubted that. He glanced back at Harry. Ron and Hermione had come to visit occasionally but Allen got to stay by his side longer because he was technically a patient too.

"You plan on giving points about this, don't you?" Allen smiled with a little amusement as he felt Dumbledore glance at him. "About those points..."

* * *

"Alleeeeen!"

The Slytherin was surprised when _Lavi_ of all people came and threw his arm over his shoulder. "Why am I _not_ surprised that you end up dealing with Moldy during your first year at Hogwarts?"

"I wish I could say that I _was_ surprised," he responded dryly. Moldly. What a degrading and appropriate nickname. He got to watch Voldemort split from his vessel as it was dying. To see the shattered and torn remains of the soul flee... it was sickening.

" _Anyways._ " Lavi's voice returned him to the present. "Are you willing to play some cards with me and some Gryffindors?" He winked. "I promise I'll go easy on you."

He agreed and ended up at the table with Fred, George, their friend Lee Jordan, and that familiar Asian girl named Lenalee Kakumi. They played a game of poker, Allen not feeling bad at all about shuffling the cards around so he had the better hand. He was just improving the outcome on him winning everyone's Galleons.

And win he did. The Weaselys and Jordan were oogling him as though he were a god while Lavi was upset over the loss of his money. It was Lenalee that Allen decided to be courteous to and give her back what he won from her. After that was lunch, which was spent with his neighbors gawking as Allen ate plate after plate without showing signs of stopping. He normally doesn't eat so much...

 _'Your Innocence requires energy as well. Since it's active, you'll need to eat a lot more to get the nutrients you need.'_

Wasn't that lovely.

Gryffindor and Slytherin ended up tying for the House Cup. Allen had gotten points for his poker skills. Something he blinked at since he didn't even think that he had any card skills until his poker game with Lavi and the Gryffindors. During the train ride back to Kings' Cross from Hogwarts, he found a compartment to hinself. Something he was glad for when he woke up gasping.

He couldn't remember much of the dream. There was blood... gunfire... death. Even now, he could smell the heavy scent of iron. He was watching skin turn into dust. The human cells were breaking down at an incredible rate, leaving absolutely nothing but ash behind.

 _'Don't think about it,'_ was all the voice said. _'Keep walking.'_

It was a relief to be off the train. He bid farewell to his friends, got to thank Mrs. Weasely for the sweater she made him, then made his way through the wall to find Meredith waiting patiently outside the barrier. Her warm brown eyes, her inviting presence. Allen couldn't help but hug her when he approached. Surprise flickered across her expression but she returned it nonetheless. Allen wasn't exactly what one would call huggable.

"Welcome home," she told him when they parted. In return, he gave her a real smile.

This had been a long year.

* * *

 _ **~allenfan - Why thank you very much. For the comments and reading. Believe it or not, they are my strive for going forward.a**_

 _ **~MillenniaPhoenix - First things first: No, I don't exactly have a set schedule date. I have tried to set that up before but one week in and I found my own creativity lacking. I've been a little slow in updating other stories because I've been feeling less motivated but I'm still chipping at chapters. I'd have thought Tainted Innocence would be rewritten quicker because it's easier to know what direction I'm going in now that I've sort of done it... While I don't have a schedule, I'm at least attempting to try to update within a span from days to two weeks. I'm doing an estimation about three or four chapters per book, possibly more after we hit third year because that's when things are**_ **really _going to start changing. Especially the last two books. I'm really excited for that year. Or I might be excited about the fact that I love responding to comments, which is strange because I'm not very social._**

 ** _XD And your theories are scary close. They usually are and it sends chills down my spine. In fact, I always look forward to them because of this. I like to see who guesses it or who gets close. Who can be far off. And debate whether or not to tell them this~. Yes, Allen's gaining memories fast because he was a_ curious _about it. Now that he got a glimpse of what he use to do, he less certain that he wants to know. In fact, he wants to be unburdened by them so much that he wishes them gone. I've never really done a book with a character missing their memories before so this is, as I think I said in the first chapter, an experiment. It's so hard not to reveal more than I want because I know just about everything. It's a brilliant challenge. You'll see that the Chamber of Secrets will be a little different than this one. Remember, this is Allen but it's not the Allen we all know and love. Not right now. Timcanpy is still the amazingly adorable golem he is though (couldn't leave that little guy out for the life of me. I tried). Oh, and Lavi and and the others also don't know some things about Allen~._**

 ** _(Also did not totally debate posting this chapter for the longest time.)_**


	4. Chapter IV (vers 2)

"Join my side, Walker."

"...I can't, Tom. I _won't._ "

"You know as well as I that you don't belong on the side of the Light. Even Dumbledore is wary of you. You're essence is filled with darkness. If you join my side, you wouldn't need to be careful. You can destroy what you want when you want."

"I am light and darkness. Both but neither. The path I walk is between the two, Tom. I have morals. I have people I wish to protect. It just so happens that your ideal world is eradicating them and people similar. So if me wanting to protect my friends puts me in the path of the Light, then I'll walk it for as long as I need to. Even of that means that I have to fight my former student."

"You'll regret this, Walker. I'll make sure you do."

* * *

Something was wrong with Allen.

Over the course of a week, Meredith was aware of a few of his changes. Number one being his appetite. That boy could now devour an entire table by himself. That's not something he was able to do before.

Number two, his arm was no longer paralyzed. She related that to magic. Certainly the school was able to correct some defect he was either born with or had eventually gotten when that arm became tattooed. She didn't know how or why but a sneaking suspicion made her wonder if the arm and appetite thing were related.

The third thing, and the most stark difference, were the nightmares.

It startled her at first when she would wake up to one of the children informing her that Allen was screaming. It had taken several calls to his name to usher the boy awake and when he was, his silver eyes would scan the room wildly as though looking for a threat. He would be covered in sweat, pupils dialated, and unable to sleep for more than a few hours. After a couple more of these incidents occured, she moved Allen to an empty room beside hers. Neither he, the children, or the other Nuns would like it very much if he lounged in her bedroom.

Months passed and she had come to realize that some nights were worse than others. Sometimes when she doesn't hear him screaming, she'll creep into the hall to check up on him to find his head burried in his hands.

"I don't want to remember anymore," he muttered one night.

The next day Allen was almost completely distracted. He had seemed to set himself on a new routine; doing a sort of push-ups while in a handstand. He had to rely on the wall at first but the more he got the hang of it, the more he moved from the wall. Meredith figured that it was exercise for his left arm. It _had_ been unusable most, if not all, his life.

"How about we go for a walk," she offered. The Nuns had taken the other children out to the park at least. Reise and Addeline were the more likely two to bother the boy. Allen glanced over to her as she smiled softly. "One walk. Just us."

He gave a weak smile back, the weakest she's seen, and nodded before getting up from his seat.

Her hand reached up to the present Allen had given her during Christmas. It was a snowflake-shaped crystal with a small cross in the center and a gold chain. His letter informed her that he made it with magic. And yes, she took it to get appraised and the man had stated that it _really_ was diamond and gold. She cherised it.

They walked for a while in silence. Allen was wrapped up in his thoughts and Meredith was wondering how she could voice hers. She had known Allen since he was a baby. All of his quirks, his masks, she could tell them apart easier than anyone else. That didn't mean that she couldn't be fooled. It just made it more difficult to do so. And Allen tended to clam up when she mentioned _how_ she could tell his emotions and change tact to make it more difficult. He's not an untrusting child, not to her, but he also didn't like people knowing how he _actually_ feels.

They made their way to the edge of a pond with nothing said between them. Meredith stared out at the water with her hands clasped in front of her before taking a seat in the grass. It ticked her skin but she ignored it in favor of turning towards Allen and motioning for him to take a seat. Thankfully, he did so. And they shared yet another bout of silence.

"Would you like to tell me what is bothering you?"

He stiffened by her side and glanced in her direction. Meredith pursed her lips slightly as she continued to stare ahead at the duck and her ducklings wading into the pond. "You've been having terrible nightmares Allen. For months. And far more recently, I've found that you to be staring at nothing. What's wrong? Did your school do something to you?"

She could sense him looking away and knew that he would be debating on whether or not to inform her. Before Allen arrived, Meredith never did study people too well. But with him, she had to sharpen her people study skills. She would sometimes go out and sit somewhere public to watch people interact. To tell what actions were false, true, and idling. All to better understand her children.

"Hogwarts isn't the problem," he finally began. Timcanpy had settled down in his hands and while he spoke, he was furiously pulling at the small golems face. "Or it didn't cause it. It just... revealed some things I now wish that I didn't bother to try knowing."

"And that is?"

A pregnant silence stretched out for longer as Allen tried to find the words.

"All... all those years ago... when you found me on those doorsteps..." he hesitated. A few more moments of quiet and he groaned. "I don't want to scare you. It has to deal with magic and... and _more,_ I think."

Meredith hummed in response. She understood that he was giving her a warning of sorts. Something that he figured out might change her outlook. It was the only thing she could think of at least. "Magic or no magic. I want to know, Allen. Tell me even if you think it'll scare me." She gave him a wry smile. "I can handle quite a bit, you know."

He returned the smile with one of his own. Tense but relieved. He faced the pond and seemed to be preparing himself.

"I've been alive before this. I-I'm older than I actually am. I just don't know _how_ old."

Meredith shot his a surprised glance. That was something she wasn't expecting. Reincarnation? But that's God's work. How does it tie in with magic?

"The night you opened the door, someone had tried to kill me. I don't know what happened. I can't quite remember but people _had_ died that night. The person had tried to kill me with magic. Instead, it... reversed my age substantially. I ended up as a baby and all my memories of who I was before were suppressed."

"And you began to unlock them at Hogwarts," Meredith commented.

He looked blindsided by the fact that she seemed to be keeping up fairly well. That she was trying to be understanding in a situation that she had never been in before. Allen dropped his gaze down to his hands.

"Yes. There were things there that would remind me of something. It would be something simple like a stone or a word... Small fragments of my life before. Things I didn't know I missed." He scowled. "I could do without the memories."

"And why is that?"

"Because..." He hesitated.

Here it was, Meredith realized. The nugget of the problem. The thing that was bothering him.

"Something about my past life was... _bad._ These ones are fragments as well but they all seem the same. Pain, loss, _death._ A body turning into a pile of ash. Someone being stabbed with a sword." He closed his eyes. "A stone cell with nothing to accompany me besides pain. I don't think something like _that_ are things that I wish to recall. Not only that, I'm losing pieces of _me._ With each new memory I get, now matter how small, I feel like the me I am just drifts away. And no matter how hard I try, I can't stop it."

He opened his eyes and gave a wane smile.

"I've seemed to have opened Pandora's box and it doesn't want to close."

* * *

An owl arrived with Allen's list of school supplies. Meredith looked it over with him before setting a date in which to head to Diagon Alley. She never heard of such a silly place before but Allen was certain that it existed.

And Allen...

His nightmares had gotten better. Not by much but better. The chances of him waking up and screaming had lowered by a lot and now he only wakes up sweating and anxious. His exercise, given to him by the voice no less, did help ease his mind a little. He had to focus on keeping his body upright lest he risked faceplanting.

He couldn't help but smile when they made it to the back of the Leaky Cauldron. Meredith had followed him into the pub even when she could not see it. She was surprised when he opened the door and she found herself in the small area. Whispers filled the air as Allen led her to the back. He heard his name more than once but ignored it. But Meredith's expression to when the bricks moved to form a pathway into Diagon Alley...

The look of awe made him happy that he was even associated with magic. Curse the underage magic rules.

 _'You're not even underage.'_

He paused in his steps as he thought about that. Then he dismissed it and kept walking. Allen didn't want to tempt fate. He might settle for just getting Meredith some basic magic-learning books. Just to give her an idea on what she was in for.

They went to retrieve Allen's money from his vault in Gringotts. She became just as exhilarated flying down into the deep on the trolley as he was. When they left Gringotts, they had to focus on his list.

They had gotten at least half of Allen's stuff before they ended up in Flourish and Blotts. It was packed with people. Most of them women.

A flash of platinum hair and Allen turned his head in hopes that it was Draco. It was and surprisingly, by his side, was a male in his likeness.

 _'Lucius,'_ the voice spat.

The male was digging his hand into the cauldron of a familiar red-headed girl. Going by the expression of the family (Oh, look. Harry, Ron, Hermione, Fred, George, and a man were all there), his hand was not where it should be.

"What in the _blazes_ are you doing," Meredith hissed. Her mother bear instincts had undoubtedly kicked in as she stalked right up to the man. He pulled his hand out of the cauldron as he looked vaguely astounded by the interruption. Then his cold eyes narrowed as he regarded the woman. "That child is not _yours._ You have _no_ _right_ to stick those filthy hands into her things!"

Draco had reeled back from her sharp glare even though it wasn't directed at him. The man's lips twitched as he removed his hand and regarded Meredith with disrespect. His other hand clenched tightly to the serpent head of his cane. "This has nothing to do with you, _Muggle._ "

"Oh, so wizards are able to put their hands where they don't belong, right? Does that mean that they're above the law as well? Should I worry that children might be killed as pleased because some wizard is too high and mighty to even think that they might have any repercussions? It's as I said before." She got in the man's face with a look that could scare anyone. "You're _filthy._ "

His lips pursed until they turned white. His fingers seemed to twitch, as though _wishing_ that he had a wand.

"I would appreciate it if you left my friends and myself alone, _Lucius._ " Allen had gone to step in front of Meredith. The woman stepped back in surprise as he smiled at the man. But the edges of his smile was sharp and his eyes cold. "Before something either of us regrets would happen."

"Allen Walker..." he sneered. Then Lucius turned on his heel. "Let's go, Draco."

Thr boy shot Allen an uncertain look before he followed his father through the horde of people.

"That poor kid," Meredith muttered. Then she got a stern look in her eye and turned towards Allen. He gave her a sheepish smile as he rubbed the back of his head in hopes that she wouldn't get on his case too bad. "Allen, that was _very_ dangerous."

"But Meredi-"

"No buts. I'm aware of your troubles Allen, but you are _my_ charge regardless. I will _not_ allow you to partake in any risky endeavors while I'm around. Even if that means that I, a helpless Muggle, end up angering a very entitled wizard. Is that understood?"

The Golden Trio gawked as Allen lowered his eyes to the ground. He was usually so knowledgeable and confident that sometimes, it was easy to forget that he was the same age as them. Harry himself was surprised to see the white-headed boy end up getting scolded.

"Yes ma'am."

"Thank you for the help," the girl commented uncertainly, seeming grateful for their interruption.

"It's no problem," Meredith responded back. "I'm glad that we could interfere. Oh! You're the children I've seen entering and leaving Kings' Cross. Let's see..." She glanced at them all before pointing at two in their group. "You must be Ron and Hermione. Allen has informed me about you two. And Harry as well."

Ron and Hermione glanced at each other in surprise. Hermione's face was actually flushed crimson.

"Books, Meredith." Allen nodded his head to the line.

"Ah, right. Stay here with your friends. I'll be back with your friends."

"I can-"

And she was gone. Allen sighed as he glanced over at Harry. "All I did was give her your general personalities. I don't get how she could tell whose who by just glancing at people." He glanced over at the girl and her subjects. "First year of Hogwarts? You're in for a time."

"What happened to your face," was her instant response.

" _Ginny,_ " a female voice snapped. Allen and the Golden Trio had stiffened in surprise at her brash question. "That's rude! And hello Allen, dear. Arthur..." The recent appeared Weasely mother, Molly, turned to her husband and paused. "Arthur?"

The man was staring at Alle with wide eyes.

"Er... I don't mind..." He turned to face Ginny. "To be honest, I'm not sure. I've had this scar ever since I could remember."

Arthur was still staring. The mother bear must have been drifting around near the surface because when Meredith had returned, it took approximately three seconds before her gaze snapped between the uncomfortable Allen to the gawking male and she rounded up defensively on the latter.

"Can I _h_ _elp_ you?"

"Huh?" Arthur broke out of his transfixion. "No, sorry. How rude of me. He was just reminding me of someone..."

Meredith hummed as she shot Allen a look. One of which he responded to with a shrug. The man was familiar but whether or not he remembered him...

"Would you like to buy the rest of your stuff with your friends," she asked. "I can return back to St. Vincent's if you would like."

"I would like to stay," Allen admitted. "But you should as well." He smiled at her surprise. "You can't just hang around the other Nuns all your life."

She thought about it. "Oh, alright. I suppose I do need other friends besides the Sisters." She turned back to face Arthur and Molly. "Do you mind if we tag along? I do apologize for my temper. I'm protective over my children."

"Not at all," Molly responded cheerfully as Arthur nodded. "Come along then, we're nearly finished."

"First Peeves, then Malfoy, and now our dad," Fred whispered as both he and George momentarily drifted by his side.

"What's your secret," questioned the other twin.

"I don't know." Allen knitted his brows together thoughtfully to add to the lie. "You're guess is as good as mine."

They drifted ahead. Meredith glanced back at Allen shortly after, having heard him despite her attention on Molly. The Golden Trio walked by his side to catch up on summer events.

* * *

Allen was surprised when looking for an empty compartment on the train. Most were packed with people from twos to sixes but only one compartment held one person. A first year with blond hair. He couldn't see her face but she was pale, her form seemingly fragile and small, with her wand tucked obviously behind her ear.

"Do you mind if I sit here," he inquired politely.

The first year turned her head around to glance at him. Her eyes, her expression, even her voice had a dreamy and air-like quality to it that seemed to insinuate that she might not be all there.

"I don't mind," she stated as her silver eyes turned back to the window. "I wasn't expecting company."

"Neither was I," he admitted as he shut the compartment door and sat across from her. "First year, I presume?"

"Yes."

"And what House do you expect to be in?"

"Ravenclaw, I wager. My father was in it." She glanced back at him and smiled. "What House are you in?"

"Slytherin." He grimaced. "It's quite infamous. Most people who are in it are too snobby for my taste. It's good that you're in Ravenclaw. I heard that it is a good House."

"It is," she responded.

"My name is Allen Walker. And you are?"

Her silver eyes seemed to flash in recognition at the name. "Luna Lovegood." She pointed at Tim who was flying beside his head. "What is that?"

"That's Timcanpy. He's a golem."

"Is he alive?"

"No. He seems biological but Tim is actually a mix of magic and technology."

"Oh. Well he's very cute."

Allen had found that he very much liked her company. He was almost sad to see her go but parted with her anyways. When he approached the carriages with Neville, the boy was startled by the bony and dark horses that stood in front of the carriages.

"Thestrals," Allen commented as Hermione followed beside him. He smiled faintly as he patted it. "They're creatures that are invisible unless someone has witnessed and understood death. They're not dangerous unless they're forced to attack."

Hermione looked dubiously at where Allen was patting but Neville seemed to understand. They clambered into the carriage immediately after.

* * *

The Sorting had ended. Allen was the only one from the Slytherin table who clapped as Luna took her seat at the Ravenclaw table. Blue did seem her color. He ignored the glances from his Housemates and instead began to settle himself onto the food.

"My father told me to stay away from you," Draco informed as he played with his food. "Why?"

"I don't know," he answered honestly. He didn't but the voice seemed to dislike the man.

"Well he seems to and he won't tell me why." Draco scowled. "He doesn't _like_ you at all. And you didn't have any right to step into a matter between purebloods."

"Purebloods..." Allen replied blandly. He narrowed his eyes. "One, neither of us even know if I am a pureblood. Two, if you're father didn't want _interruptions,_ he shouldn't have chosen a _public_ place to harrass little girls. Were you honestly okay with watching him strut his power and family name in a bad light?"

"That's none of your concern," he hissed.

"You're right, it's not. So leave it in the past and move your focus onto events happening in the present."

He pointedly turned away and shifted his efforts to eating his fill. Allen was very thankful that the food was plentiful and he didn't have to worry about eating too much and not leaving enough for the other children.

* * *

He woke up in the darkness gasping and flinging the blankets off of himself. His gloved hands cupped his face as a weary sigh escaped his lips. The images of this recent nightmare flashed quickly in his mind and, like before, hardly stuck. He could remember a few things... A grotesque angel reject. Blurry faces. And _pain._ Pain _always_ lingered in his dreams.

The skies outside informed Allen that it was still night. If he had to guess, it was about 3 a.m. The Devil's Hour.

A quiet, unamused chuckle left his lips as he got out of bed. The Nuns had a field day with that. It seemed to further amplify their belief that he just might be the anti-Christ. Even if he wanted nothing to do with God or Christ.

The air hit his skin when he moved and cooled it's heated temperature. There would be no sleeping tonight, he knew that much. It had been months since he even had a restful slumber. So he slunk past the unmoving forms of his dormmates and headed to the Commons.

There was no one lounging in there. He didn't expect it considering how late (early) it was. It was the perfect place for him to start his morning routine. With him beginning with handstands, pure concetration was alight on his face as he exercised. He counted each time he raised his head further from the ground.

"What the bloody hell are you _doing,_ " Draco demanded as he walked down in his nightclothes. Allen paused momentarily before allowing his legs to land on the floor and bring himself upright.

"I'm getting ready for the day," he responded and headed back to his dorm.

Several minutes later, a showered and dressed Allen found his way to the Gryffindor's table in the Great Hall. Hermione seemed a bit stiff with Harry and Ron. A few moments of Neville's questioning and Allen began to understand why. They weren't on the train on the way to Hogwarts (something he wasn't aware about thanks to his entertaining conversation with Luna during the ride). Mail had begun to arrive and Ron's family owl, looking nearly dead, mind you, was carrying a red envelope.

"A Howler," Allen had stated as the redhead gawked at it in horror.

"What's a Howler," Harry inquired.

"It's an envelope that yells _very_ loudly," he commented as Ron continued to pale. "In an enviroment like this... Well, it is publically humiliating."

"You better open it, Ron," Neville whispered timidly. "It'll be worse if you don't. My Gran sent me one once and I ignored it and- it was horrible."

Ron held the envelope fearfully in his hands. His gaze quickly flickered over the color before an idea lit hope in his face. "Allen, do you know a spell that can get rid of it?"

"They're magically enhanced to _avoid_ that sort of thing," Hermione informed stiffly.

"Against students with average learning," Allen countered as he pulled out his wand. "I would like to believe that my knowledge exceeds school limitations. Give it here, Ron. I would like to avoid shredding your hands to nonexistence."

"He _should_ suffer the consequences of his own actions," she sniffed.

"Yes well, forgive me for depriving Mr. Malfoy of entertainment at the cost of Gryffindors' pride. I assure you, I'm not doing this for Ronald's benefit. Now the Howler, please."

He wordlessly left it in front of Allen. The boy flicked his wand before pointing at it. The words _"t_ _arentief"_ left his lips and the envelope began tearing apart until there was absolutely nothing left of it.

"W-what sort of spell was that," Hermione asked as she stared incredulously where the Howler was before. Even Neville was watching with awe.

"One I fashioned myself." Allen got out of his seat and adjusted his robes. "Excuse me. I should probably go and retrieve my timestable now."

"Does he seem a little... irrated," Harry questioned as he shifted his gaze between Ron and Hermione as the Slytherin walked off. The other two Gryffindors blinked at him before agreeing.

"So _that's_ what Lavi meant when he said that Allen acts a little different when upset."

Hermione however, had other things to think about. "He created his _own_ spell."

"That's pretty wicked if you ask me."

" _Ron._ Did you see how that Howler got destroyed? What if it was _Dark_ magic?"

"I'm giving Allen all of my Howlers," Neville decided.

"Neville!"

* * *

Gildroy Lockhart was perhaps the _worst_ teacher Allen had ever seen. He didn't seem to have a clue that he knew what he was doing but tried to play it off like he did. It was pathetic to see the other students, girls mainly, _worshipping_ that git.

 _'A toad has better teaching abilities,'_ the voice commented. Allen had nearly fallen out of his chair with surprise, having almost been sleeping through Lockhart's lecture. He felt like he was beginning to wish for Quirrel's lectures. As evil as he was, at least he _taught_ them appropriately.

"Walker! What's my favorite day of the week," Lockhart inquired.

"Can we actually learn how to defend ourselves against Dark magic, Professor? I don't think that your favorite day, outfit, nor color is fitting enough for the subject we need to learn, is it?" The boy's voice was innocent as he tilted his head, not giving any actual implication of what he was saying. _"Can we focus on what we came to do? Not everything is about you."_

It wasn't given per se but it had been recieved.

After classes was lunch and Lavi came to seek him out. For that, he was thankful. He didn't want to be around Luna when in an aggravated mood, she was nice, and he certainly didn't want to end up snarking at her by accident. And Draco... well, he was still upset with him. How could _anyone_ think that watching a man mess with a girl's belongings was something _appropriate_? Even if it was his father?

He followed Lavi but he was surprised when they didn't end up at the Gryffindor or Ravenclaw table. No, they ended up with Hufflepuff. Lenalee was sitting there with a smile and by her side was a scowling Asian Hufflepuff with his black hair pulled up into a ponytail. The Slytherin slowed when he noticed.

 _A small boy climbed out of the pool of water that had been created in the ground. His long hair was draped over his shoulders and his blue eyes were dull._

"Allen?"

The memory faded away as he saw Lavi staring at him with expectations and a furrowed brow. This scene had given a faint throb to his skull and something told him that it wasn't a particularly _pleasant_ memory. Then again, none of his recent ones had been.

"Ah, my apologies." Allen held his hand out to the male. "My name is Allen Walker."

The Hufflepuff tch'ed and looked away.

"That's Yuu Sakurai," Lavi chirped as Allen's hand twitched. His visible eye glinted happily. "But don't call him Yuu. He hates it. You should probably just call him Kanda."

"Why did you bring the Moyashi _here,_ Baka Usagai," the Hufflepuff, Kanda, demanded. Weren't Hufflepuffs suppose to be kind?

Moyashi? The boy narrowed his eyes. "I _prefer_ being called _Allen._ "

Kanda snorted. "Like I care about your name."

"Yes, and it's very obvious that you don't care about your name, _Ba_ Kanda."

The Hufflepuff flew across the table faster than Allen could blink. He grabbed the Slytherin by the front of his robes and both went falling to the ground. Thinking quickly, Allen elbowed Kanda in the face. The teenager swore loudly and both ended up exchanging blows from where they laid on the floor.

"Lavi, stop them!" Lenalee exclaimed while the redhead began laughing, pretending to wipe a stray tear from his single green eyes.

"They grow up so fast," he instead commented as the two ended up back on their feet and continued punching each other. This went on for a couple more minutes, every eye in the Great Hall turned towards them, before a voice made them both pause.

"Walker! Sakurai! My office. _Now._ "

And that's how Allen found himself and Kanda sitting in front of McGonagall's desk. Her lips were thinned into a straight line and her nostrils flared as her hawk-like glare bore into the two.

"Fighting in the Great Hall? Really? Do either of you have anything to say for yourself?"

There was a long pause before Kanda spoke begrudgingly.

"The Moyashi has a strong right hook."

 _'No way...'_ the voice said. It sounded flabbergasted. _'Did he just... compliment you?'_

Allen gawked at Kanda and so did McGonagall. He cleared his throat and looked away in favor of glaring at one of the items settled near the wall. "My name is _Allen._ And... you're not bad yourself..." Then quieter. "BaKanda."

"Don't _call_ me that," the Hufflepuff instantly snapped.

"Then don't call me Moyashi, _baka_! I am _not_ a beansprout!"

"You want to call me an idiot again!?"

" _Enough._ " McGonagall's glower burned into both the students. "Sakurai, I'm aware that you don't get along with most of the students but flat-out _brawling?_ And Walker, I expected more from you." Allen sheepishly bowed his head. "I will be taking fifty points from both of your Houses. You two will serve detention in the library for the next two weeks. If I hear that one of you had started fighting, I'll find something _worse_ for you to do. _Dismissed._ "

Kanda got up abruptly and strode from the room. Allen was at least considerate enough to bow his head before retreating. Something told him that she wasn't in the mood to listen to apologies. When he shut the door to the office behind him, the Hufflepuff spoke up.

"How much do you remember?"

"Eh?" Allen eyed Kanda skeptically.

"Nothing," he scoffed. Then he began to walk down the hall. The Slytherin watched him go before pointedly walking in the other direction. Meanwhile, his brain carefully plucked at what Kanda had said.

* * *

Allen and Luna ended up sitting together near the lake. She had claimed that it helped with the Nargles because they disliked being underwater but to _truly_ ward them off, one would need a necklace made out of bottlecaps. He smiled and enjoyed her outside-the-box thinking as well as creativity. And her fingertips were gently stroking Timcampy's wings. By how he wilted in her hands and almost seem to look like a small pool of gold, Allen didn't doubt that Tim was enjoying himself.

"You have friends arriving," Luna breathed. He tilted his head curiously before glancing around the grounds. There were a figure of three heading his way from the castle. Ron, Hermione, and Harry, no doubt. He wondered in how Luna even knew that they were coming, since she herself had not glanced once their way before speaking.

"I can't believe that you got in a fight."

Ron sat beside Allen as he stared at the Slytherin as though seeing him in a new light. Harry hummed in agreement as he took a seat on his other side. It was really Hermione who seemed to be miffed by Allen's actions.

"I mean, I know that you could handle yourself in a duel with all sorts of spells but you just look so _weak._ I didn't think _anyone_ could stand up to that Hufflepuff in a real brawl."

"Weak..." The boy repeated dubiously. His shoulders slumped as his hung his head. "I look weak..."

"Don't worry, Allen." Luna sounded as though she were trying to cheer him up. "Not everyone can dodge the squid's tentacles like you can."

"You _what?_ " Hermione demanded as both Harry and Ron gaped.

"It's training," he informed the Gryffindors in a nonchalant way. "Mr. Squid was more than willing to help me out with my regimen."

"It can _kill_ you!"

"Yes well, I _normally_ train with the Whomping Willow but it seems as though it'll be out of commission for a while so that it's branches could heal."

"That's even worse!"

"We all die eventually, Hermione." Allen's face was an unusual calm and patient mask. "That's mortality. We can either live trying to have our days last or live like today is our last. It just so happens that compared to the vast majority of students here, the path I'm walking slides a little more to the latter."

"It's alright, Allen." Luna had interrupted with a soft and dreamy smile. "You won't need to worry about your mortality too much. Oh, and you might want to tell Mr. Squid that you're postponing this session." She pointed at a red tentacle rising from the water. "I don't think that you want the others in the crossfire."

"Ah, no I wouldn't." With that, Allen casually patted the tentacle twice. It went retreating back into the lake.

The Gryffindors gawked as it left.

* * *

This school year seemed relatively peaceful considered to the one before. Allen gladly took Harry's invitation to Nearly Headless Nick's Deathday party. Draco was still irritable with him and although Allen hadn't _forgiven_ him, he was no longer mad. Regardless, he was regretting his decision when he found that there weren't any edible food there. At least the Bloody Baron engaged in an interesting conversation. No one else, dead or alive, seemed eager to approach him and the Baron seemed to enjoy Allen's presence.

Then the Headless Hunt showed up when Nick was to make his speech and began playing with their heads.

"Let's go," Harry muttered to Allen.

"I'll join up with you in a moment," he responded. He narrowed his eyes at Sir Patrick. "There's a little word I would like to have with these ghosts.

"Alright..." he gave Allen a curious glance before walking off.

 _'Crown Clown might scare them enough,'_ the voice offered.

"Excuse me, Sir Patrick." He spoke loud and clear and that was enough for everyone to stop and look at him. He heard whispers of his name from some of the other ghosts. "Don't you think that you're being a bit rude?"

"Whatever are you talking about?"

"What I'm saying is that Sir Nick was courteous enough to host a party and that he was about to start a speech _before_ you barged in here like a group of rambunctious children and interrupted him. You died centuries ago and I'm certain that your era had _manners._ Use them before I show you how scary I can be."

Timcanpy grinned at the ghosts.

After Allen had managed to get the ghosts to show some respect, he went heading after the Gryffindors. Timcanpy led the way, somehow knowing that they hadn't gone onwards towards the Great Hall. Students had became wandering the halls themselves as Allen followed his golem up the stairs. He paused when he noticed a crowd gathering at a three-way intersection. Allen squeezed passed, certain that Harry must be in this mess. Sure enough he was, also followed by his Gryffindor companions. He was screaming at Harry before Dumbledore came along.

"Come with me, Argus. You too, Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasely, Mr. Walker, and Miss Granger."

Allen had wondered why he had been called out but quickly followed behind nonetheless.

 _'Harry has your luck,'_ the voice commented in what he imagined was amusement. He was nowhere near amused though when they entered Lockhart's nearby office.

The blonde git was running off his mouth as Allen tried to comfort a sobbing Filch by rubbing his back sympathetically. He was the only student the caretaker didn't despise and the Slytherin was aware of how much he loved Mrs. Norris. Allen wasn't sure what he would do if he had lost Timcanpy.

"-Transmogrifian Torture," Lockhart said. "I've seen it used many times, it's a shame-"

"Professor," Allen interrupted. "Do be considerate to Mr. Filch. Besides, the cat isn't dead."

He regretted saying those words as the face of everyone in the room, Dumbledore, Lockhart, McGonagall, Snape, Filch, as well as the Golden Trio all fixated their attention on him.

"And how do you know that," Lockhart inquired. "You're a second year. For all you know, she could be-"

"She's _Petrified._ " He motioned towards the cat. "Surely I'm not the only one that could tell."

"You are correct, Mr. Walker." Dumbledore straightened up. "She has been Petrified. But how, I cannot say..."

They were eventually dismissed from the office.

"I'm sorry that you had gotten involved in this," Harry apologized.

"Don't worry about it." Allen waved him off. "I would have been there one way or another. You're not the only one cursed with bad luck."

Harry had given him a weak smile before realization flickered across his features. "Do you think that I should have told Dumbledore about the voice I heard?"

"No," Ron interjected immediately. "Hearing voices no one can hear isn't a good sign, even in the Wizarding world."

"Allen?" Hermione had slowed when she noticed that he had stopped. If hearing voices wasn't good then what did that mean for him? Did this have anything to do with the words painted on the wall?

 _"The Chamber of Secrets has opened."_

What was the Chamber of Secrets anyways?

 _The corpse of a young girl laying in the bathroom... The end of a scaly tail disappearing around the corner... The walls in the hallway crumbling to reveal the sky outside... Hot rage coursing through his veins like lava as he tried to enact his wrath onto it..._

Allen didn't notice that his hand clapsed over his left eye until Hermione had said something about it.

"Sorry, headache," he responded casually as he dropped his head. It felt like his brain decided to throb just above his eyeball. "Let's stop by the kitchen for now and see if the elves would be willing to give us some food. I don't want to go to bed on an empty stomach."

"But Snape-" Hermione began.

"Doesn't even know that I know the secret entrance to the kitchen." He began to hurry down the hall as his stomach quietly rumbled. It won't stay quiet for long unless he manages to eat something soon. "Quickly. I'm starving."

The Gryffindors looked at each other, the boys shrugged, and then they all followed with Hermione's sigh of exhasperation.

* * *

They searched for the Chamber of Secrets. Professor Binns had apparently told the Gryffindors about the Chamber myths and now the Hogwarts rumor mill was spinning. Harry and Ron suspected that Draco was the culprit.

"C'mon," Ron urged. "Just ask him."

"No." Allen crossed his arms. "I might not have forgiven Draco but he is not the one who is behind this. All he does is sit in the Commons and thanks the Heir for doing the work."

"What if it _is_ him?"

"Draco is _not_ the Slytherin Heir."

Ron was irate with him after that.

Later on, Quidditch had begun. The first match and the most anticipated, as no other House besides Gryffindor and Slytherin had such a strong rivalry. Sometimes it seemed as though the importance of other Houses were shoved in the back. Allen wasn't much of a fan of Quidditch but since he now had two working hands, he wondered if he should try out for the team. Being a Beater sounded fun.

 _Maybe next year,_ he thought. Allen would have to get himself a broom and then find some way to maintain it in an orphanage full of children who, more often then not, _sabatoged_ his belongings.

Anyways, the match ended with Harry getting a trip to the infirmary because Lockhart _removed_ all the bones in Harry's arm before Allen could arrive to mend them himself. And yes, he had practiced.

He was waking from where he had drifted off in the Commons. At first he thought it was because of a nightmare but he hadn't slept deeply enough to even dream. It was because his wand was vibrating in his pocket. And then he heard something, a faint rasping whisper, say something before drifting away.

That was the reason as to why he was wandering the halls so late at night. Sometimes he would get close to make out a word or so. For a moment, he wasn't sure if it was actually in his mind. Then he realized that the voice in his head didn't have an a sound. It was just _there._ Something about this voice was rough and low. And it undeniably wanted to kill.

 _'Parseltongue,'_ his voice whispered.

When Allen investigated, he found the stiff body of a Gryffindor. His eyes widened when he realized from the camera that this was Harry's first year stalker. A bowl of grapes was also by his side, looking as though it had just fallen there.

"Allen?"

He whipped around with his wand in his hand. His caution wasn't needed, as it was Dumbledore who was standing in the hallway. He was wearing his nightrobes and his azure eyes fell towards the Gryffindor.

"He's Petrified," Allen stated as he lowered his wand. His brows furrowed. "It wants to kill but leaves the victims frozen... Frozen but alive. I don't understand..."

"I want you to get Professor McGonagall," Dumbledore directed as he went to stand near the Gryffindor. "Return to your dorm afterwards."

"Yes sir." Allen bowed his head and hurried down the hall.

* * *

Something was off about Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Allen wasn't sure if he was imagining it but they seemed to want to spend _less_ time around him and more time in the girls' bathroom on the third floor. He shrugged it off as both he and Luna moved their meeting point near the Whomping Willow. It had gotten better enough for him to return to his normal routine.

"You're spending more time with me than usual," Luna breathed.

"It's nice to see that I'm not imagining things." He sat beside her as he took a break, slumping backwards with only his arms to prop him up. Luna was a nice person and... well, she didn't question things. And he felt comfortable enough around her to remove his gloves, which was something he doesn't like to do even within his own dorm. "I had gotten a faceful of unfinished potion in Professor Snape's today. If I didn't have any magical resistence, my head would have ended up as big as Mr. Hagrid's pumpkins."

Luna gave an airy laugh. She was easy to talk to. The Ravenclaw listened without prejudice and seemed content to hear of his problems. Something about her also seemed... so _knowing._ Allen didn't understand it but she seemed to have an idea on what's going on before he did. He didn't mention much to her; just that he was having memory problems and magic barely fazed him, and yet he felt as though she knows the reason. Some of the kids called her Loony Lovegood. She was the most eccentic Ravenclaw there could be and Allen had come across a few before.

Well if being loony meant percieving things others cannot, they should try it sometime.

"Have you signed up for Lockhart's Dueling Club," she inquired.

"I have." Allen nodded before giving her a smile. "And you?"

"Of course. Learning how to duel may very well be fun."

"If Lockhart can actually teach us," he commented dryly. "Even I can manage being a better teacher than he can."

"Don't become too prideful," Luna warned. Her breathy voice became a little more concrete for that moment before falling back into it's normal tone. "It never ends well."

"I'll keep that in mind."

Later on, the duo were standing inside the Great Hall where the Dueling Club was to take place. Allen didn't even know that Kanda was beside him until he spoke when Snape used the Disarming Spell that ended up having Lockhart's back meet the wall.

"Remember anything yet?"

"No." Allen's tone was stern as he narrowed his eyes and didn't look at him. "And I don't want to."

"So you do know what I'm talking about." When Lockhart told them to find partners, Kanda immediately turned towards Luna. "Get lost. I'm facing him."

"You're only going to push him away," the Ravenclaw informed him breezily before drifting away to find another partner. He grunted in response as Lockhart began to count. Allen's hand gripped his wand.

"One. Two. Thr-"

Before three had even left his lips, Kanda had raised his wand.

" _Legilimens._ "

Allen felt his eyes widened as he recalled that being the Legimancy spell. Physical spells were one thing, his Innocence toned those down because it was literally a part of him, but Innocence had nothing to do with protecting his mentality.

 _The world was dark, which was not what it had been ten minutes before. It was suppose to be bright out and the Hearst Orphanage standing in one piece._

 _Now it was laying in ruins as Akuma of levels 2, 3, and 4 moved about._

 _"There's nowhere left to go, Exorcist!" The Akuma cackled maliciously as it's hands had formed cannons and were now sending a torrent of bullets after Allen. The sleeve of his left arm trailed after him as his broadsword was resting somewhere in the rubble. He ran and ran and run until the Level 4 stopped firing in order to gloat. Even without his eye activated, he coukd imagine the soul's twisted and ruined form. "You're going to die~."_

 _"I think it's you whose about to die," he responded as he saw this as his chance. Behind the Akuma's back, the broadsword had risen straight up before flying in the Akuma's direction. Shock flit across it's disgusting features before the sword stabbed Allen as well and the two were pinned to a wall._

 _"Idiot," the Akuma had said. "You impaled yourself as well."_

 _"The Sword of Exorcism only harms evil things like Akuma and Noah. Not humans."_

 _"If that's true..." It laughed. "Why are you in so much pain?"_

 _His eyes widened. For a moment, his nerves didn't register it. The injury was too quick and too painful for his body to respond properly. Blood leaked from the corner of his mouth._

 _"Crown... Clown...?"_

 _Then his torso lit up in pain. His beatings from the circus, recieving his curse, the broken bones from his training, his arm being torn from his body, the Teez eatng a hole in his heart. All that and then some felt as though it were dipped in flames and amplified. In the distance, he could hear someone screaming but he didn't care. Allen just wanted to get away from the agony. Crown Clown felt as though it was literally ripping his chest into pieces. Even if it meant dying, he wanted to leave the pain. Please just let him die alread-_

"That's _enough_!"

Allen pulled from his mind just in time for his skull to slam into a surprised Kanda. The ravenette reeled back with a hiss, his hand automatically holding his forehead before Allen grabbed him by the front of his robes. Astonishment flashed through everyones' faces, as the entire school year and those who have seen him previously, they have never seen Allen get _this_ mad. And right now, he was fuming.

"You have no _right_ to force that on me," he shouted in Kanda's face. His silver-gray eyes flashed like fire. " _No right_! I _chose_ to not remember and then you come into my life and try making decisions for me? To hell with that! I want _nothing_ to do with you." Allen bared his teeth. " _Nothing._ "

Kanda had been surprisingly cool about this. Especially since he's the one known to have a temper. His blue eyes narrowed as he stared down at the Slytherin.

"What about Mana?"

 _A grinning clown, pretending to hang himself from a tree._

Mana.

 _A man in travel-worn clothes smiling as he lingered in front of the fire._

Mana.

 _A skeleton attached to the frame with his name enscribed elegantly to the skull._

Mana...

Allen hadn't realized that his grip had slackened until Kanda forced his hands away and readjusted his robes. "See, you do want to remember. Stupid Moyashi."

Allen promptly responded by hitting Kanda as hard as he could in the jaw with his left hand.

"Stay the hell away from me," he hissed. Then he stalked past the deadly silent room, past the questioning and baffled looks of his peers, before exiting into the hallway.

* * *

Albus looked up from the paperwork on his desk just as the door opened and his Potions master entered.

"Severus," he greeted. He set the quill down. "How was the Dueling Club?"

"Lockhart is as inadequite as ever," Severus had commented with a sneer. "However, there was a peculiar incident."

"Peculiar?"

"You remember Yuu Sakurai?"

"Yes. He, just like Lenalee Kakumi, Lavi Patton, and even Walker are immune to Legilimency. Have you found out how?"

"Not quite." Severus' lips twitched. "It's not that they're immune. It's more as though they work differently. Sakurai had attempted to preform Legilimency when he and Walker were partnered. I don't know how he learned it but it was too brutal and lacked tact. While both their defenses were down, I also used Legilimency to check on what Sakurai was seeing."

Albus watched as Snape paused. It looked as though he were trying to still understand it.

"Sakurai brought up a specific memory. He was being rough on purpose and he knows how Walker's mind works. I believe that Sakurai's trying to make him remember his past."

Albus was quiet for a while as he thought. After a moment he sat back in his chair.

"Let them. It will be best if Allen returns as quickly as possible. We'll eventually find out why they want him to remember."

Severus nodded and made move to leave. After a moment, he paused. "Do you know of anyone named Mana?"

"Mana..." He hummed. "I believe that was the name of Allen's father. I have no idea what end had befallen him but I do not believe that it was a good one. Why do you ask?"

"That was the name he responded strongly to. He doesn't seem keen on remembering."

"No, I didn't think he would be. But when he does, he'll be grateful."

* * *

 ** _So, this arc_ might _be two chapters (more than likely) because I didn't realize how far in the year I had written until just recently. I did expect this chapter to have been_ _done at least by yesterday but some unexpected plans had come up and I had to readjust my schedule. I don't know why I'm doing an update every day (blaming boredom) but I'm cool with it._**

 ** _Fun fact! Lenalee, Kanda, and Lavi all have their surnames taken from voice actors who played them. Ai Kakumi voiced Lenalee in 2016 for her Japanese voice, so Lenalee (who was Chinese) is now Chinese-Japanese. Takahiro Sakurai was the Japanese voice of Kanda in the 2006-2008 anime. Chris Patton voiced Lavi for episodes 27-28 (felt that Liebrecht would have been a dead giveaway). So yaaaaay._**

 ** _~Neah-D-Campbell1 - J'ai utilise un traducteur pour taper ceci mais: Merci beaucoup!_**

 ** _~MillenniaPhoenix - Weeeell, yes and no for the Allen's past thing. Neah? He's currently a secret but that's not why I'm excited for the third book. I mean, the ideas I have for the third book is even why I began to plot out this story to begin with. And by "plot", I mean that I'd be laying in bed trying to go to sleep and the ideas arrive from nowhere to hit me and I never got to sleep until four in the morning. I'm really glad that you like it so much. And you're welcome! And I don't really need sentence starters. I just rewatch the anime of my interest XD. Since I know -man better than any other anime, I have to rewatch what I'm crossing it over with (once I manage to stop being a lazy bum). I actually enjoy being overworked. It's better than doing nothing when_ so _many ideas that don't know when to STOP are playing around in my head. And they never stop. I just have difficulties connecting my writing to my plots at times._**

 ** _~Eclipse - Why thaaaank you~~!_**


	5. Chapter V (vers 2)

_The sound of tears could be heard coming from an empty classroom when he walked past. He paused in his steps as he listened. Turning towards the door, he pushed it open_

 _"Hello?"_

 _It was quiet. The soft sobbing was reduced to nothing more than quiet sniffles._

 _"I know that you're here."_

 _More unspoken silence. He didn't move an inch as his eyes searched the darkness. And then finally..._

 _"P-professor Walker?"_

 _"Miss Myrtle," he responded. "Why are you in here?"_

 _"..."_

 _He closed his eyes before taking a seat at the desk. "Please tell me what's bothering you."_

 _She slowly picked herself up from behind the teacher's desk. Silver tears streaked themselves down her face. "O-Olive."_

 _"Did she make fun of your glasses again?"_

 _Myrtle nodded._

 _"She shouldn't have. You look really good with them on."_

 _"But I don't like them."_

 _"...I see." He motioned for her to come closer. "Here, I think I've come up with a temporary spell that could correct your vision."_

 _"You have?" Myrtle's face fell into one of hope. She moved closer to the desk._

 _"You're the only one I will use this spell on, Myrtle," he warned. "And even then, I cannot use it constantly. Once a month to ensure that I do not damage the cornea, lens, retina, otpical nerves... essentially everything that causes you to see."_

 _"How long does it last?"_

 _"Twenty-four hours, give or take. Would you be willing to try it?"_

 _"Have you tested it...?"_

 _"In order to test it, I must know the exact prescription the eye needs and apply those numbers to my spell. I have tried it on myself with no side effects but... well, I don't need glasses."_

 _"O-okay, I'm ready to try..." Myrtle removed her glasses. He smiled at her reassuringly before tapping the bridge of her nose, right between her eyes._

 _"_ _Regeroculus."_

 _Myrtle's eyes opened and she took a glance around. After a moment, delight flashed on her face. "I can see clearly, Professor!"_

 _"That's very good." He smiled. "Now Miss Olive can't make fun of you."_

 _"Thank you so much!"_

* * *

Christmas break was not as relaxing as Allen though it would have been. Luna had gone home for the holiday. the Golden Trio were ignoring him for some unknown reason, and he was avoiding Kanda, Lavi, and Lenalee. The reason why he added the last two was because they were associated with Kanda _and_ he had seen glimpses them in a couple of other memories.

The only bright side of this was that Draco had finally apologized for backing up his father. Allen suspected that it might be due to the lack of intellectual conversation from both Vincent and Gregory but counted it regardless.

"You're spending your Christmas alone?" Draco was lounging on the couch as Allen was balancing one-handedly on the floor during that evening.

"Is that a crime," he inquired with a concentrated frown. He did his best to ignore the astounded looks of Draco's lackeys. Frankly, he didn't know why they were surprised. He did it all the time now. "Besides, I have Tim."

The golem flapped his wings happily from here he sat on the couch.

"You haven't even opened your presents!"

"I don't like Christmas."

"But what about _my_ present?" Draco was shuffling around through them. "Some of these don't even have names. Ugh, here's Potter's. Is that bloke and his friends still ditching you?"

"..."

"And you don't know why?"

Allen righted himself before taking a seat on a chair close to the fire. He was silent for a moment. "...I have a couple of guesses."

"You're not going to tell me."

It wasn't a question. Regardless, Allen shook his head. "No."

"Does it have something to do with the Chamber of Secrets?"

"...Possibly."

"They think _you're_ the Heir? I always knew that Potter was an idiot but I didn't think he would be this stupid. We don't even know if you are a pureblood."

"Doesn't matter," he huffed. "You remember Colin Creevey?"

"Potter's number one fan?"

"That's one way to put it," Allen muttered. "I heard whatever it was that had been Petrifying the students talking. I went to go find it when I came across Mr. Creevey." He frowned deeply. "Parseltongue... Petrification..."

An idea sparked Allen to his feet. Draco blinked in surprise. "What's going on?"

"I need to go to the library. I'll be back in a couple of hours."

Allen hurried out of the Commons with Tim flapping behind him. He would have gone directly towards the library to search but he was certain that Hermione would be just as eager to help him look. She, just like Harry and Ron, have been cooped up in Myrtle's bathroom for about a month. He hadn't been in there but he had followed on occassion. She might be in there now.

"Walker," Moaning Myrtle had called in a sing-song voice. Everyone he knew had mentioned how awful Myrtle's tantrums were but he never had witnessed such a thing. "What brings you here?"

"Ah, I'm looking for Hermione. Have you seen her?"

A cheery smile passed over the ghost's face as she pointed at a stall. "In there, but I'd be careful if I were you. She's a bit furry."

"Furry?" He frowned. "Hermione, what happened?"

"N-nothing," she squeaked from the other side of the stall.

"Oh, you're not going to tell him?" Myrtle's smile had broadened. "Shall I then? I could tell him exactly how little you and the other two don't trust him."

 _Trust...?_

"I-it's not that!" Movement sounded from the stall. Allen shifted his gaze over to the ghost.

"What's going on?" he inquired.

"She was going all about on how her and the other two couldn't take your word about some Slytherin." The ghost sounded delighted in giving up this information. "So they decided to brew this potion that turns someone into another person and investigate themselves."

"...A Polyjuice potion," he commented after some thought. Hermione's start gave him confirmation. "If she's furry, then Hermione must have accidentally added fur into her portion. So _this_ is what you three had been up to behind my back. Thank you for informing me, Miss Myrtle."

"But of course." Myrtle giggled at Allen before heading back into one of the toilets.

"Allen..."

"And thank you for letting me know how much trust you put in me, Miss Granger. I had come here in hopes that we can search for the monster haunting the school but instead... Anyways, I do hope that Madam Pomfrey will help you with your situation."

The Slytherin strode back to the door and opened it in time to see the faces of a baffled Harry and Ron wearing robes too big for them.

"Allen!" The redhead exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

"Leaving, Mr. Weasely." The two Gryffindors paused at the hardened tone he had. "Or shall I say Mr. Crabbe?"

Ron and Harry glanced at each other with wide eyes. Allen shook his head and squeezed past them. Then he stated icily, "Merry Christmas, you two."

He headed down the hall to the library with only Timcanpy to accompany him.

* * *

It was a relief when Luna came back. He always felt like he was tiptoeing around Draco for some unknown reason and now the Golden Trio was added to his "avoid" list. His searching of the library ended with nothing. He couldn't find anything that serpent-wise that could Petrify. There was one thing that came close but Petrification was not in its abilities.

Admittedly, he had also been sleeping a little less during January. His nightmares were still ever present and waking him in the early morn. His evening however were beginning to suffer because he was now finding himself unable to fall sleep. Luna had been willing to watch over Allen as he napped one afternoon after class when they lingered beside the Whomping Willow. He ended up waking up from something with a slitted, yellow eye only to find her running her fingers through his white locks. The action was familiar as he allowed her to do so. It helped make him feel better.

 _A girl's sapphire gaze was boring on him from her porcelain face. Her short hair was black and spiky but her dainty fingers were light and quick._

Allen blinked and the image was gone, replaced with Luna's platinum hair and silver eyes.

"It's not bad remembering," she informed him with a gentle smile.

Harry had been trying to make up with Allen but to no avail. Indeed, he continued to participate in their search for the Chamber of Secrets and Harry had acquired a diary that dates back to fifty years before.

 _A dark-haired boy with brown eyes and pale features standing proudly._

 _'Tom Marvolo Riddle...'_

Ron, Harry, and Allen were looking around in the trophy room. He wished Luna were here to keep him company, as he refused to speak to the Gryffindors unless he had to. It would be best to keep her out of this though. Whatever they're searching for, it had potential to be deadly.

"Need some help?" a female voice had asked. The boys looked up to find Lenalee standing in the doorframe.

"I think we're fine for now, Lenalee," Allen stated. He looked over at Harry and Ron. "I don't think we're going to find much else."

"Er, right," Harry admitted. They began to shuffle to the exit.

"Allen, can we talk?" Lenalee inquired. He paused for a split second before nodding. Seeming to get that this was a private conversation, the two male Gryffindors left the room. Lenalee waited for the door to close before speaking.

"I'm sorry about Kanda's actions at the Dueling Club. We didn't think that you would get upset about it."

"No, I imagine not." He crossed his arms. "I doubt that Kanda would use the Legilimancy spell without being told so and he's an amateur at casting it which makes me think that Kanda had barely even learned how to use it. That means either you or Lavi had to be the one to convince him and used our dislike for each other as a means to get us close."

 _'I bet my money on Lavi. Lenalee is smarter than him but he is craftier.'_

"We wanted you to remember," she whispered as she held her hands close to her chest. "We want our Allen back."

"Yes, it seems like everyone who knew the past me does wish for me to remember," he responded bitterly. He knew that Hagrid was one of them. Dumbledore had to be another. He was going to bet that the rest of the teachers besides Lockhart knew of him as well.

"It's not as bad as you think," she murmured.

"So you know exactly what it feels like to be torn apart from the inside with Innocence?"

Lenalee looked startled as she opened her mouth to respond but nothing seemed to come from it. He scowled.

"They can't be bothered to get to know _me._ Only who I was. Because the person I am now isn't _good_ enough."

"Th-that's not true!"

"That _is_ the truth, Lenalee. You said so yourself that you wanted the old Allen back. You'd be surprised who else agrees with you other than Lavi and Kanda. I don't _want_ to remember the Akuma. I don't _want_ to relive people crumbling to dust. And I sure as hell don't want to remember _Mana._ "

 _'Lies,'_ the voice whispered.

"So do me a favor and all three of you stay as far away from me as you possibly can. Because I don't want _anything_ to do with you."

Lenalee took a step back as though his words had actually hit her. Confident that he had said all he could, Allen opened the door to the hall. He paused when he noticed Harry and Ron's startled looks. Those two were probably eavesdropping for all he knew. After deciding that he didn't care, Allen motioned for them to move. "Come, there's nothing of importance here about Riddle."

* * *

Harry was standing in what would have been Dumbledores office; had it not been fifty years into the past. He had written in the diary after a rather bad experiance on Valentine's Day and he had been sucked into the book right in front of the very person he had been looking for: Riddle. There was a quick discussion between him and Headmaster Dippet before he ended up leaving. Then an agonizingly familiar voice broke out when they passed by the grand entrance.

"Tom? Isn't it a bit late for you to be wandering the halls?"

Riddle came to a stop as both he and Harry inclined their heads to the stairs. The Gryffindor gaped as two people on the staircase. The first one was Dumbledore himself. He still had his hair and beard long but being fifty years younger, his hair was auburn. And by his side, the one that surprised Harry the most, was Allen.

He looked about sixteen or seventeen at the most. His white hair was long enough to be pulled into a ponytail while his fringe was swept over his face and showed his crimson scar more than he usually did. He was wearing clothes earily similar to the present Allen, delicately balancing a stack of books that went higher than his head. Some of the titles had to deal with _Dark Arts_ or _Defense Against the Dark Arts._ Despite the fact that he was looking at Allen supposedly fifty years before present time, Harry was overcome by a state of unease. Something about him was... different.

"I had gone to see the Headmaster, Professor Walker."

Harry's jaw dropped. Professor? _Professor?_ He would have been more inclined to believe it if Allen was a student helping Dumbledore carrying books but him as a _professor_...

Was this the old Allen he had mentioned to Lenalee?

"It's very dangerous to be roaming around by your lonesome with the monster attacking. Would you like for me to accompany you?"

"No, Professor. I'm alright."

Allen smiled calmly and nodded his head. An action that increased Harry's uneasiness. It was then that he realized that this Allen's expressions were given more carefully. Every emotion that flickered across his face had some underlying meaning that he couldn't interpret nor understand. "If you're certain."

"Hurry off to bed," Dumbledore had told him before continuing up the stairs.

"Yes, please do be careful." Allen's smile seemed to become a little more genuine. "I would hate to see harm befall onto my Slytherins. It's an unfortunate matter for the other Houses."

"Of course, Professor."

"I should see you tomorrow then." Noticing that Dumbledore was getting away, Allen ascended the staircase as quickly as he could with what could almost be described as a look of annoyance on his face. "Albus, please wait up. I'm carrying all of these books!"

There was a brief flash of gold that had caught Harry's eye but when he looked, it was gone. He glanced at Riddle to see if he had seen it but the tall boy was already striding from view. He followed close behind as his mind reeled with the information he had gotten. Allen was a Professor in Hogwarts fifty years ago. Not only that, but he was the Head of _Slytherin._

After watching the conversation take place between Hagrid and Riddle, Harry caught that same flash of gold he had seen from the staircase only seconds before he was ripped from the book and found himself on his own bed. He was pale and shaking but relieved to be back in his own time. The flash of gold he had seen...

 _It had followed Allen around,_ he realized as Ron opened the door. The only thing it could be was-

"Timcanpy," he stated as he sat up. Ron blinked at him.

"You okay mate?"

* * *

Allen was sitting near the lake with Harry. The ravenette had sent Hedwig to give him a letter about meeting and he had responded telling him to meet here.

"Why here..." the Gryffindor asked nervously as he glanced around. "It's too open..."

"That's exactly why," he stated. "Unless someone had owned an Invisibility Cloak-" he shot Harry a knowing look. "-then it would be difficult for anyone to sneak up on us. The corridors inside the castle are too confined and the noise travels. In a forest, anyone can merely hide behind a tree. That's why I had chosen here."

Harry nodded in understanding.

"Anyway, what did you want to talk about?"

"...I think Hagrid might have opened the Chamber of Secrets fifty years ago."

Silence.

"Mr. Hagrid," Allen began slowly. "Opened the Chamber of Secrets and released a monster that had killed someone?"

"Not intentionally," Harry said quickly. "He could have been looking to take care of it. Hagrid cares for every living creature and the more dangerous, the better. He was expelled that year as well. And in this diary, there was this large creature..."

"You do have a point." He hummed as he held his fist to his chin in thought. "But the walls had mentioned the _Heir of Slytherin._ Hagrid was a Gryffindor and has nothing to do with Salazar Slytherin." He paused. "What's this about a diary?"

Harry told him about the diary that sucked him fifty years into the past.

"And Allen..." He hesitated. "I think I saw _you._ "

The Slytherin had frozen.

"You were older and your hair was longer but it _was_ you. _Fifty years ago._ Is that what you've been meaning about not remembering?"

A long sigh escaped Allen's lips as he pinched the bride of his nose. Fifty years... he was _here_ fifty years. How old was he when he was reverted to a baby?

"Yes. Ever since I had come to this school, I've been... remembering things, I suppose I could say. Mr. Hagrid, Lenalee, Lavi, Kanda... even Dumbledore all seem to be waiting for me to remember." He was now sounding bitter. "Meredith knows what's going on and Luna has been surprisingly understanding even though she doesn't know much about the details."

"So why don't you try remembering," Harry asked. "If you were here fifty years ago, you might know what went on-"

"You don't get it," he interrupted. "With each concrete memory I come across, a piece of who _I_ am vanishes. It's not something I can just recall and stay as I am. This is something that would change me. If I remember, I might not even be like the Allen you're looking at now. I might not be _me._ " He looked down. "I know that I'll need to face it some time, Harry, but I'm going to avoid it for as long as I can. Chamber of Secrets or not."

"Then..." Harry's tone was quiet. "We can ask Tim."

Allen started as the golem poked out of his robes. "Tim?"

"He was there when Hagrid got expelled. He might be able to show us what happened after Riddle confronted him." He frowned. "Er, _can_ Tim speak or something?"

" _Gah,_ " the golem went.

"He can show us a recording," Allen translated. Harry gave him an incredulous look. Before he could ask anything, Timcanpy opened his mouth and a projection appeared above him.

"It wasn' him!" The child Hagrid Allen had seen in the photo from last year was shouting. "He wouldn'! He never!"

The door behind him flung open from a spell the tall boy, Riddle, Allen assumed, had casted. Hagrid was flung into the wall and something large and black went scuttling down the hallway. Riddle went to launch a spell at it but Hagrid seized his wand and threw him down. "He's innocen'!"

The two boys wrestled, Riddle trying to go after it and Hagrid trying to stop him. The chamber soon became accompanied by two people. Dumbledore and, Allen realized with wide eyes, himself.

It was just as Harry had said. He looked older, his hair was long enough to be tied back, but it was undoubtedly him.

"It wasn' him," Hagrid was saying when the past Allen successfully separated the two. "It wasn't."

A frail, bald-looking wizard came in later after. His gaze drifted from Riddle to Hagrid.

"It was him," Riddle shouted with certainty, pointing at Hagrid. "It was his monster that killed that girl."

"To my office, all of you," the wizard responded wheezily before striding away. Riddle adjusted his robes before following after.

"It wasn' Argog," Hagrid murmured as he shuffled behind quietly. "Not him, Professor."

The past Allen was quiet as he walked by Hagrid's side. His blank face revealed absolutely nothing and he wondered if that's really how he looked to others.

"I know," was all he said.

The projection stopped and Timcanpy closed his mouth.

"Argog..."

 _A black spider about the size of a large dog._

He scowled to himself before shaking his head. "Spiders have nothing to do with Parseltongue."

"Parseltongue," Harry asked with surprise.

"Yes, that voice you've been hearing, that _I've_ heard too, speaks Parselmouth. That must be why no one else could hear it."

"Hold on, you're a Parselmouth too?"

"Yes, I had forgotten to tell you about that after Mr. Creevey's Petrification. You three had begun ignoring me by then though so it's not entirely my fault."

Harry had dropped his head guiltily at that.

"I say that we ask Mr. Hagrid if he or Argog has any information pertaining to the Chamber of Secrets." Allen rose to his feet to leave before a thought made him pause. "Oh, and I ask that you don't tell Ron or Hermione about... past me." The ravenette blinked at him in beffudlement. "It will deviate from the focus of the Chamber and... that's not your secret to tell, Harry. Promise me that you won't mention anything."

"...I promise," he stated glumly. Allen nodded and gave him a sincere smile.

"Thank you."

* * *

"What classes are you going to choose," Draco had asked.

Allen hummed thoughtfully as he looked at the paper in front of him. Divination and Muggle Studies seemed like something utterly useless. The former because being able to tell the future was silly. If one knew their future and that they'd die in some way, then the one seeking might _actually_ die in fear. And he grew up in the Muggle world so knowing how they interacted was something he had first-hand experiance in.

Arithmancy was about knowing the future as well but it dealt with looking at charts, providing mathematical challenges... he rather liked those. And there was the Study and Ancient Runes. He picked up on languages easy and knew quite a few of them himself (then he thought that it was because the past him knew of them) so the idea of learning a new language was delightful. And then there was Care of Magical Creatures. That would seem like something fun and outdoorsy. He would definitely need that in the magical world.

Later on, Neville would find Allen and ask him for help. He almost hadn't seen him all school year but was suspecting that he would when the exam season started rolling in. Poor Neville was at a complete loss on what to choose.

"Care of Magical Creatures might be good for you," he advised as he leaned over the table to view them. "It's like Herbology, but with animals. And since we need another elective... perhaps Divination? It's not my favorite, I'll tell you that but it might be something you can use."

"Thank you so much," the Gryffindor beamed.

After that, he would find himself in the Commons with Vincent and Gregory's faces screwed up in concetration before asking Draco what he was going to choose.

"The Study of Ancient Runes and Care of Magical Creatures," he stated boredly. His two lackeys began to scribble it down.

Allen had a very distinct feeling that Gregory and Vincent were going to fail the first one so badly and almost pitied them. They were so doomed.

* * *

Allen found himself wandering through the Forbidden Forest with both Harry and Ron.

Hagrid had been taken to Azkaban. Hermione had been attacked and Petrified.

"You were a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher," Harry had whispered to him at the table at dinner. "A _real_ one, not like Lockhart. And you dealt with the troll and Quirrel good enough. We might need you."

And that's why he was here following a trail of small spiders with the Gryffindor's and Hagrid's dog, Fang.

"I can't see where they're going," Harry commented when they were able to remove the cloak and the spiders had gone drifting off the path.

"Through the foilage," Allen commented as he peered easily into the darkness. "Be careful of the tree roots- there's a lot. And try not to step on the spiders. It's hard to see them through the grass. Something tells me that stepping on them would be a _bad_ idea."

"Hold on, you can see?" Ron demanded.

"Almost as good as day," he responded. Then he furrowed his brows and faced the redhead. "You can't?"

"No, I can't. How are you able to see in the dark?"

"I'm guessing that you haven't tried to move around in complete darkness before, have you?"

"Who the bloody hell would do that?"

Allen pointed to himself.

"I'm talking about someone _normal!_ "

The Slytherin was amused with his reaction. He did have to admit that he was probably as far from normal as he could get. The amusement then fell away when something came from the trees. He had his wand at ready, planting a very destructive curse in mind.

"It's our car!" Ron exclaimed.

Allen found it utterly strange to find the car approaching Ron like a pet. The redhead was excited about it, probably because it was something friendly and not at all another spider. At least not until he looked above Harry that his features morphed into a look of terror.

Allen barely got to see what it was when his own feet left the ground. He found himself being held by a pair of long, thin, hairy legs.

 _Spiders,_ he thought, as he glanced up at a pair of pincers. Chills had run down his spine.

 _'Don't attack,'_ the voice whispered.

The trio and the dog were lifted through the trees fast enough that they seemed to blur. They traveled for a while until they were set down in the center of a mass gathering of arachnids in front of a the largest domed web he had ever seen. They were in a vast hollow with the moonlight glistening from the silver strands of web. Allen found it both beautiful and creepy.

"Argog," the creature carrying Harry had called. The clicking of it's pincers almost made it difficult to hear. "Argog!"

A humongous spider crept from the hollow. It was the biggest here, Allen realized. The hairs on it's body was grey instead of black and it's many eyes were a milky white. Blind. This spider was old. "What is it?"

"Men."

"Is it Hagrid," it questioned.

"Strangers."

"Kill them," Argog clicked.

"I would rather not die..." Allen chuckled nervously. The ancient spider paused. "I apologize for us coming unannouced. I would have knocked when we arrived but... well, you don't have a door."

"...Red," Argog had said. The Slytherin jolted as the name send a rapid pain through his skull. He grit his teeth as he held it, his left eye almost screwing shut. "That sounds like Red. Do one of these strangers have white hair?"

 _A boy with reddish-brown hair scowling hatefully at himself in the reflective glass._

"Yes," the arachnid that had carried him had spoken. Harry had shot Allen a sympathetic look. The ravenette probably understood now why he had gotten headaches frequently.

 _'Play along or all of you are dead.'_

"...Hello Argog." Allen dropped his hand to his side as he relunctantly decided to follow the voice's command. "I assume that it's been a while."

"Yes, it has been," he agreed. "It is good to speak with you again."

"Unfortunately, I haven't come for such pleasantries." He glanced at Ron, who was looking as though he may never manage to speak again. "Hagrid has been taken to a wizards' prison. I have come here to ask you about the Chamber of Secrets. About the monster inside of it."

The clicking of the arachnids sounded very much like that of an angry swarm.

"It is an ancient creature we spiders fear above all others. Well do I remember how I pleaded with Hagrid to let me go, when I sensed the beast moving about the school. That creature, we do not name it. I never even told Hagrid the name of that dreadful creature, though he asked me, many times."

"You didn't come from the Chamber," Harry inquired.

"I was not born in the castle. I come from a distant land. A traveler gave me to Hagrid when I was an egg. Hagrid was only a boy, but with Red's help, he had hidden in a cupboard in the castle, fed me scraps from the table. They are good friends, and a good men. When I was discovered, and blamed for the death of a girl, Hagrid protected me. Red helped me find this hollow and I have lived here in the forest ever since, where they still visit me. Red even found me a wife, Mosag, and you see how our family has grown, all through their goodness... I never seen anything but the cupboard. Hagrid and Red knew that I was not the one that killed the girl in the bathroom."

Allen was really finding himself disliking the name Red.

"Thank you, Argog. Truly." Allen bowed. It didn't matter if the leader couldn't see him because his descendents _could._ "We'll take our leave now. Rest assured that the next time I visit, it would either be by myself or in H- _Rubeus'_ presence."

"Goodbye, Red." The spider seemed to sink back into it's dome. "I will look forward to your visit."

 _I'm never visiting again,_ he thought as the stealthily approaching spiders back away as though figuring out that they now have been granted safe passage. Allen grabbed Ron by the arm and forced the redhead to his feet. Fang went bolting through them into the darkness of the forest. "Come on."

"But I didn't get to ask-" went the ravenette until Allen cut him off sharply.

"Harry, not now. Let's _go._ "

They quickly hurried through the Forbidden Forest. Or they tried. Ron's feet seemed to have stopped working and he was pale and shaking. When Allen was sure that they were a fairly good distance away and he couldn't see any spiders lingering up in the trees, he spoke.

"Any more questions and we might have died."

"What?"

"Did you honestly not notice that they were slowly closing in during our conversation. Those giant spiders are Acromantula's, creatures known to have a taste for human flesh. They would have gladly eaten us if we upset Argog enough."

If possibly, the already pale Ron had blanched even more.

They caught up with Fang at the cottage.

"Are you okay," Harry had asked the barely-breathing Ron. The redhead stumbled a few steps before vomiting in Hagrid's pumpkin patch. The ravenette went into the cottage to retrieve his cloak and by the time he had come back, Ron was wiping his mouth.

"Follow the spiders," he moaned. "I'll never forgive Hagrid."

"Look, we're alive and Argog proved even further that he's innocent," Allen told him. Ron snorted.

It was safe to say that he was relieved to enter his dorms to find Vincent, Gregory, and Draco asleep. Timcanpy flapped his wings happily from where he rested on Allen's pillow. As he changed into his nightclothes and rested on his mattress, he sighed. There was only one creature that fit into everything that's happened. Slytherin's monster, Parseltongue, the many years it's been alive. It had to be a snake, large by the sound of it. The only thing that didn't fit was that everything living that happened to look at it _died._

* * *

Allen had sent Tim to go check on Harry when McGonagall's voice had informed all students to head to their dorms. He had come back a little later during evening with a recording. Harry seemed to be in his dorm with a distraught Ron by his side.

"The Heir took Ginny to the Chamber," the ravenette said. Ron glanced over irritably at the golem. "Allen, meet us at Myrtle's bathroom."

"What are you doing," the redhead asked glumly.

"Tim can record messages," he replied, turning to his friend. Then he looked back at Timcanpy. "Please meet us there."

Sneaking from the Commons with a nosy Draco was not easy but possible.

"What are you doing here," Myrtle asked after he lingered near a stall for the longest time.

"Waiting for my friends," he answered honestly. He recalled Argog saying something about how a girl had died in the bathroom. "Myrtle, if you don't mind me asking, how did you die?"

The silver on her face darkened as sshe blushed. She leaned on the stall next to him almost happily.

"I saw these great big pair of yellow eyes. My body seized up and then I sort of floated away." She motioned to the sink. "I saw them over there."

"Thank you."

He walked over to the sink and carefully looked it over. He managed to catch the image of a tiny snake etched into one of the taps just when the bathroom door opened. Allen whipped around with his wand at ready but relaxed when he saw that it was Harry and Ron...

With Lockhart held at wandpoint.

"Why in the name of Merlin is _he_ here," Allen demanded as he glowered at the teacher. "McGonagall, Sprout, Flitwick, Snape. If you wished to bring a professor, literally _anyone_ but him would have done."

Lockhart's face was reddening.

"He was trying to take our memory," Harry stated as the blond shot him a disgusted look. "We knew that he was a fraud but he takes peoples' memory and writes those adventures as his own."

 _'So he's that kind of sorry sap.'_

"So instead of knocking him unconscious, you decided to bring someone who would hold us back into considerable amount of danger?"

"It's better than having him run free."

No, no it wasn't. Allen sighed, suddenly feeling old before shrugging off the conversation. He motioned over to the sink. "This is where it comes out. I believe that the sink needs Parseltongue to open it. The monster..."

"It's a Basilisk," Harry informed him quickly as he headed over to the snake. Allen pointed the snake scratch to him.

"I figured," he responded dully. "I couldn't understand how it Petrified instead of killed."

"Everyone that had been Petrified looked at it indirectly. Colin through his camera, Justin through Nearly Headless Nick."

"...Why hadn't I thought of that," he grumbled.

It had taken Harry a couple of tries for his Parseltongue to work. The sink opened, Allen's wand vibrated, and they all glanced at each other.

"A Basilisk is like a dragon," the Slytherin told them. "Their skin is impervious to magic. It would be ideal to take out it's eyes but doing so requires looking and I'm afraid that we would be dead before then."

Ron's face paled but his resolve seemed to stay the same. They urged Lockhart to enter the pipe first before following suit. When they slid to the end, Allen found himelf staring at a large, green snake skin.

"It must be about twenty feet," Harry whispered.

"Depending on how long this skin has been here." Allen glanced around. "Snakes don't stop growing until they die."

Harry was probably wishing that he wouldn't have said that.

"Get up," Ron urged Lockhart, who had collapsed to his knees. The man shot up quickly and tackled Ron. Allen barely managed to note Timcanpy fleeing from his robes before he lunged at the man. Lockhart's eyes widened as he raised his wand at Allen.

" _Obliviate!_ "

A large blast shot off and Allen had to change tact. Instead of attacking Lockhart, Allen invoked Crown Clown and used it to grab Ron as he tackled Lockhart out of the way. He encased them and himself in his cloak as the tunnel rumbled and debris could be heard crashing against the ground.

"W-what is this," Ron gaped as he looked around.

The rumbling of the tunnel stopped and Allen removed his cloak.

"Ron!" Harry could be heard yelling. "Allen!"

He glanced over at their path to find that it was completely blocked by large boulders. "We're fine." Suddenly recalling the flash of gold, Allen looked around wildly. "Timcanpy?"

"He's with me."

"Good." The boy visibly relaxed.

"You two wait there with Lockhart. I'll go get Ginny. If I'm not back in an hour..."

Ron looked visibly distressed at the thought.

"Go," Allen stated. "Ron and I wil be behind you as soon as I safetly remove these rocks."

The redhead glanced at him with shock.

"Right," Harry responded.

"And Tim, you stay with Harry and help him out if he needs it."

He could hear Harry walk off. Allen held his wand in his right hand as he looked at the wall of rocks in front of him.

"Can you move them," he asked hopefully.

"Yes, but I'd need to carefully start from the top. The wall might collapse on us. Here, help me by moving Lockhart. I don't want it to fall on you and if his Memory Charm hadn't wiped anything of importance, he might be able to tell the Ministry of Magic all about his books."

"Right."

Allen aimed carefully at the rocks. " _Evanesco._ "

"Woah," the redhead went as he watched the rocks began to disappear each time he said the spell. "How are you- Is that the _Vanishing_ spell?"

"Yes."

"They haven't even begun teaching us that yet!"

Allen had finished minutes later. He casted a _stupedfy_ at Lockhart to ensure that he'd stay as both him and Ron went running doen the tunnel.

"What's with your hand? And where did you get that cloak? Is it magic-"

"This isn't the time for questions, Ronald," he hissed.

They ran for the longest time. Finally, they arrived at a door with entertwining serpents.

"Blimey." Ron kicked the door with irritation. "It probably won't open for anything but Parseltongue and he haven't got Harry..."

"There's me," Allen stated.

"Eh? But you can't-"

 _"Open,"_ he hissed.

* * *

Ron couldn't believe it. Allen _was_ a Parselmouth. He would have thought that the Slytherin was the Heir if he wouldn't have attacked Hermione. The door opened without question and the two hurriedly went inside.

Harry looked to be running from a large snake. The Basilisk.

"Keep your eyes closed," Allen warned. And then his cloak lashed out with spindly white tendrils and Ron watched as he went flying towards the Basilisk. And here he thought that Harry was off his rocker when he told both him and Hermione of this last year.

"Walker," a boy spat from where he leaned unconcernedly against a large statue. He was wearing Slytherin robes but not once had Ron seen him before. And right by his feet...

"Ginny!"

Ron had never ran as fast as he did then by his sister's crumpled form. As he picked her up, her head lolled from side to side. Oh, Merlin. Was she-?

Allen landed right beside him with his claws dripping blood onto the floor. Ron glanced over to the Basilisk as it roared with agony, fairly deep wounds bleeding from where it's eyes were. Harry was busy pulling a sword from the Sorting hat and Timcanpy was flying beside a beautiful bird.

"Here, let me see." Allen knelt beside Ginny before taking her pulse. "She's alive but barely. Her energy is steadily being sapped."

"You're as sharp as ever, Walker." The boy pushed himself from the statue. "Tell me, how do you look the same after so many years? Actually..." He peered closer. "You look younger."

Ron glanced up when Allen flinched and held the side of his head. He gave a sharp inhale when he noticed that Allen's left eye was different. It wasn't what was causing the Slytherin pain but it did startle Ron.

"I'm afraid that's something only the present you can tell me, Tom," Allen replied coldly. "I believe that you're the one taking Ginny's life."

"Correct."

"Then I just have to kill you."

Alarm shot through Ron at the Slytherin's casual statement. He shot up from the ground right at the boy. The boy called Tom took a step back with legitimate fear widening his eyes. The wand in his hand, Harry's, was raised in an instant and a _stupedfy_ went flying into Allen's chest. Both Ron and Tom were surprised when the Slytherin wasn't affected in the least.

"You're not Voldemort yet, Tom." Allen's deadly looking claws raked in the air and the boy narrowly avoided them. "You don't have all you're knowledge."

Ron's jaw dropped as the cloak shot out strands that wrapped around Tom's limbs.

"You're weaker."

"Now I see how no one has ever beaten you in a duel," Tom sneered. "A human can't be _that_ impervious to magic. The Stunning spell I sent you would be enough to knock a grown man off his feet. What are you, Walker?"

"A human can't be as _heartless_ as you."

Ron was horrified when Allen's claws plunged into his abdomen. A small whimper left Ginny's lips as her fingers twitched to her stomach.

"A-Allen! I think that you're hurting Ginny!"

The Slytherin immediately pulled his claws away and quickly returned to check on her. "Is she okay?"

Tom laughed as he was free of Allen's cloak. "I'm a memory, Walker. I'm siphoning this girl's life-force so I can live and become real. I'm not complete just yet and every injury I get, the faster she dies. Whose the weak one now?"

"A _memory_ of Tom Riddle. So that means that..." His gaze drifted over to the diary laying off by Ginny's side. "That contains Voldemort's soul... I see then... You're his first Horcrux."

Ron didn't understand it. He didn't even know what a Horcrux was, only that Tom panicked when Allen went for it and the diary went to flying into the tall boy's hands with a flick of Harry's wand. Once more, Allen's cloak wrapped itself around his wrist and his fist went flying into Tom's face. They both kept going until they collided with the statue behind. Allen hopped away with a dark look on his face. A decent-sized crater formed in the statue and Ginny began screaming.

"Just a little longer," Allen had said just as his claw plunged into the diary itself.

Tom yelled as he dived towards the diary, which was now spurting black ink as though it were bleeding. Just before he reached it, the boy vanished into nothing and Harry's wand went falling to the floor.

Harry came over as Ginny began to wake up with a notable hole in his sleeve with blood soaking into the fabrics. There was no wound it could have come from. With the entirety of her life-force being returned, Ginny was left sobbing apologies into her brother's robes.

"It wasn't you, Ginny." Allen's arm had gone back to normal as Ron rubbed her back. "It wasn't."

* * *

Molly Weasely was sobbing when she held her daughter close but nonetheless thanked both Harry and Allen for their help in the Chamber of Secrets. Harry had told them all about the ordeal, leaving out details of Allen's Innocence. But he was sure that Dumbledore might have an idea about it.

"I can lend you Timcanpy to watch the battle," he stated afterwards. He would have to make sure that Tim showed him what happened before Allen joined the Chamber.

Due to the relief of the other students Petrification being removed and Ginny being found safe and alive, there where no exams and many people have conducted the End-of-Term Feast in their pajamas.

Allen sat in a compartment on the train with Luna and Neville.

"Neville, this is Luna. Luna, Neville."

The Gryffindor had become a bright pink as he stuttered his hello.

He called down a lot when Allen brought up the topic with Herbology. Luna was helpful in her knowledge and provided other specimens that he wasn't sure on whether or not existed.

"It's the only thing I'm good at," he stated.

"It doesn't have to be the only thing," Allen responded. "I can tutor you if you want."

"I-I'd like that."

When the train had stopped, Allen helped Luna get her things down, where he got to properly meet her father, Xenophilius.

"I'm glad that you are in good health," he responded before leaving. He was as strange as her.

"Allen," Harry had called when they left and he was about to walk through the wall. "You should try visiting me. I live at 4 Private Drive in Little Whinging."

"I'll try," Allen confirmed. He was probably told that because he lived surprisingly close. "I'll also try to make sure that I hide my scar."

Harry blinked in surprise but looked relieved.

Allen smiled and walked through the wall to a waiting Meredith.

* * *

 _ **Dumbledore was born in 1881. It is unknown what year D'Gray-man took place. Most people seem to place it around the 1880's or 1890's. I'm gonna place the Holy War in this version in the 1850's. :D Yay, math!**_

 _ **Actually... It confused the crud out of me and I ended up with a headache. But I have it noted somewhere in a simpler form. And all of my writing keep reaching 7000+ Yaaaaay!**_

 _ **~MillenniaPhoenix - I make it an effort to not ship the characters but I won't deny that Allen x Luna does sound interesting. But writing her character is a bit complicated to me even though she is one of her favorites. I haven't decided whether or not I should. This arc might be longer than the others. I'm not exactly sure how many chapters though. And once again, you're welcome! He has been taking part in Harry's adventures but, as I've said, there will be some majorchanges now.**_

 _ **~Neah-D-Campbell1 - Vous allez voir~**_


	6. Chapter VI (vers 2)

"Professor Walker?"

"Yes, Tom?"

"You're really good at Dark Arts, aren't you?"

"...A bit? Why do you ask?"

"I was wondering if you can teach me some more stuff after class- If that's alright with you."

"You want me to teach you even more about the Dark Arts?"

"Is that a problem?"

"Most of the students here tend to shy away from it."

"You're a very talented wizard, Professor Walker. It's no wonder why Dippet employed you so young."

"No, he didn- ...What would you like to know?"

"I've read something about Horcruxes and I'll admit, I'm a bit confused. Can the soul only be split once?"

"Do you know what happens when a soul is split, Tom?"

"No Professor."

"I suppose that we should start there then..."

* * *

Allen eyed the powder dubiously as it sat inconspicuously on the end of the brush. He couldn't believe that it had come to this. That out off all the substances in the world he could have used, this is what he had been reduced to trying. It was disapproving. Humiliating. And not really because he had to use it but because he had taken it from a girl.

 _Makeup._

He had shut himself up in one of the restrooms to ensure privacy so that none of the boys would walk in on him. God forbid that it would be Reise or Bruno. And Reise was friends with Addeline so if word gets back to her about the make-up...

He didn't even want to _think_ about it.

He scowled at himself in the mirror before placing some of the powder on his face. A darker skin-tone streaked across his slightly fair skin. He grew further annoyed when his reflection flashed and the past, older _him_ would be looking back for a split second before fading away.

"Would you _stop_ that," he hissed in undertone at the voice.

 _'That's not my fault and you know it,'_ the voice hissed back.

Allen sighed. Yes, he did know. But he was tired of it. He set the make-up down on the sink and sighed at his normal reflection. Timcanpy flew through the air in favor of snuggling into his snowy locks. How did girls even get it to work appropriately?

 _'Just ask Meredith for help,'_ the voice adviced. Allen felt his face warm up at the mere thought of asking _anyone_ for help with _makeup. 'Don't you want to visit him?'_

"Oh, alright," Allen muttered quietly as he dusted off the brush and closed up the make-up. He washed off what was on his face and made sure that the stuff was tucked securely in his pocket. He opened the door and peered out to see if anybody was out there.

He was alone. And he couldn't have been happier.

He made it to Meredith's study easy. The beautiful woman looked up from her desk with a raised eyebrow. "Allen? Did you need something?"

His face became warm once more as he smiled nervously and rubbed his upper lip with a light chuckle. "I was- um, can you..." He took a deep breath. "Would you be able to hide my scar with make-up?"

"You have a lovely face, Allen. That scar is a part of you. Why on Earth do you want to hide it?"

"It's not for me," he responded quickly. "I was going to see about visiting Harry. His guardians aren't... well, they aren't too fond of magic nor abnormality. If I hide my scar and find some way to change my hair, they might be more willing to let me spend some time with him."

"I see..." She smiled softly and motioned for him to come over. He did so as she pulled open one of the drawers in her desk. Some makeup rolled around inside. "People like that are so closed-minded."

"The Sisters are like that too," he grumbled to himself. Meredith glanced at him but her smile grew a little more.

"Yes, they are. Here, I think I found something of your skin color."

He waited patiently as she quietly worked on his scar. Her expression became one of absolute concentration and she only spoke when she wanted him to close his eye. Finally, she set the makeup back in the drawer and held up a mirror. "There. What do you think?"

He grabbed the mirror to look at the reflection. When he saw, his eyes widened and he slowly reached up to touch where his scar had been.

Meredith was right. That scar was a part of him whether he wanted it or not. To see his face without it, he almost look alien. The left side of his face was too blank.

"Thank you, Meredith," he had responded when he looked up at her. He paused momentarily when she placed something in his head. It was a reddish brown and looked like... hair?

"This is a wig," she informed him as she began tucking his white locks underneath it. "Please don't lose it; it's Samuel's. I had confiscated it when he tried sneaking out."

"I won't," he promised.

"Good." Done, Meredith took a step back to admire her work. Her features twisted into a frown. "Would you like for me to come with? The ride is very dangerous for a fourteen year old boy."

"I'm _at least_ fourteen," he corrected. "And I think I might be the most dangerous one on the train."

"That might be true." Meredith placed her hand on his shoulder. "Go have fun with Harry."

Allen nodded and when she let go, went hurrying towards the hall. The only time he deviated from his path was to throw Adderline's make-up on the bed where he had found it before leaving the Orphanage.

With train ride and a taxi bombarding his hearing and sense of smell later, Allen found himself nervously walking down Private Drive as he scanned the houses for a number. Timcanpy was tucked nice and safetly in his pocket, where Allen told him to remain until he said so. He had promised the golem a sandwich.

Finding number 4, Allen approached the neatly kept house and knocked on the door. A few seconds passed before Harry's thin face appeared in the now open door and it screwed up with confusion. "Who are you?"

"Am I _that_ unrecognizable," he inquired. Harry's jaw dropped. "I didn't even do much."

" _Allen!?_ " he hissed. "B-but you're hair! You're scar!"

"It's so I don't upset you uncle and aunt with my... abnormalities." A booming laugh from the inside made him tilt his head curiously. "What's going on in there?"

"My Aunt Marge," the ravenette stated bitterly. "She's visiting for a week. I have to deal with it if I want my form signed."

"Right, Hogsmeade." He nodded. "I had forgotten that they sent the form."

"Yeah. Here, let me go tell-"

Whatever Harry was going to tell who, they didn't get to that point. Instead, a male voice went "What are you doing, boy?" and Harry whipped around.

Standing there was the largest Muggle man Allen had felt that he had ever seen. Even his neck seemed to be nothing but fat as his small eyes scanned Allen up and down suspiciously. "What do you want?"

"Hello, Mr. Dursely, sir." Allen bowed his head respectively. "I apologize for intruding on you."

A gleam shined in the man's eyes, giving him hope that he might have earned a point.

"I would like to ask if I could spend some time with Harry for a couple of hours or so."

And he might have lost that point.

The Dursely man flicked his eyes from Allen to Harry, who looked as though he was holding his breath and trying to look as small as possible.

"...Go ahead," he grunted. It almost sounded like it was physically painful to say. "Just come back before nine or you'll be sleeping on the lawn."

Harry scurried out of the doorway as quickly as he could before the man could change his mind. The door slammed shut and Allen winced.

"He's not _really_ going to make you sleep on the lawn, would he?" Allen listened to their shoes scraping the pavement.

"Oh, no." Harry's voice was laddened with certainty that made the boy hope that they were at least semi-decent people. "The Durselys wouldn't be able to stand the thought of me being where the neighbors would see me. Some think I'm the gardening boy."

And that hope was diminished.

"I'm surprised that Uncle Vernon allowed me to come. Mind you, it's because Marge is here. He doesn't want me to give anything magical away."

"Who is Marge?"

"A _nightmare._ This almost makes me wish of the time _before_ she arrived. This is going to be the longest week." He turned towards Allen. "So what are we doing?"

"Hm? Oh..." Allen scratched his jaw as he chuckled. "I haven't thought that far."

It seems that he didn't need to. Timcanpy had flown from the cover of his pockets and swept across the road. Then a cat came from out of nowhere streaking across a lawn and clamped Tim firmly in it's jaws. Both Allen and Harry had paused in their steps as they gawked at where Timcanpy was.

Then the cat _swallowed_ the golem.

"Harry..." Allen croaked. "Will you help me catch that cat?"

"Sure."

It had taken the two half an hour chasing that cat all through Little Whinging. They had almost lost it a couple of times before Allen would hear it moving and they were back on its trail. In the park, they managed to trap it and waited for Tim to come out the old fashioned way.

"I'm gonna spend an hour in the bath polishing him," Allen complained as they sat on a bench.

"You polish him?"

"Well Timcanpy isn't a living creature. He's magic _and_ technology. An object with sentience. So yes, I have to polish him." He smiled softly. "I enjoy it though."

The two sat in silence for a moment.

"Oh!" Allen dug into his pocket before holding out a bright gold, almost yellow, penny. "I had forgotten to give this to you on the train. I would have Tim deliver it to you but I wanted to do it myself."

Harry held his hand out and looked at the penny when it was given to him.

"Seeing as how our last two years at Hogwarts went, I decided to give you an enchantment. You can't lose this coin because I've transferred ownership to you so it would always appear in your pocket unless you give it to someone else. I changed its color to something bright so you wouldn't accidentally spend it. Spending clarifies as giving by the way."

"What does it do?"

"That's a secret." Allen smiled. Then it disappeared when his expression became more severe. "Only use it when you have to, Harry. _When you have to._ It's magic only works three times and you have to use it in a life-or-death situation."

"Why three?"

"Well I tried giving it more but when the last five pennies melted, I figured that three would be the best that I could offer."

"Oh..."

"I hope you like my sense of humor." Allen motioned to the coin. "It's _really_ a lucky penny."

Harry laughed.

* * *

"Good grief, Harry..."

Allen was holding a letter in his hand that he was reading by moonlight. It had been delivered by Hedwig, the beautiful Snowy Owl currently resting on the window sill eith a cup of water and a crust of bread. Timcanpy was laying on his pillow, whether awake or asleep, he couldn't tell. Either way, Harry was now sitting in the Leaky Cauldron after having blown up his aunt.

 _"I'm not in any trouble with the Ministry,"_ he had written. _"I was wondering if you can stay here the remaining week before school."_

One morning later and he found Meredith saying yes. She agreed to let him stay there for that week and even helped him back his school things. The two of them traveled together until they arrived outside the pub and Meredith left him with a "see you in the summer". Allen found Harry easily (it was really the opposite since Allen was his own neon sign) and the two went exploring Diagon Alley. He found it to be more of a headache than it usually was with the inconsistent murmurs of everyone else around.

Harry was absolutely amused at the annoyance on Allen's face and the horror on the manager's when the _Monster Book of Monsters_ was chowing on his left arm and ripping up the sleeve.

With a rub of the book's spine, it shuddered and went limp. Allen thanked the manager, paid, and they left.

"Now I need a new shirt," he mumbled as he held up the sleeve. Harry stared as he realized that he had never seen Allen's arm before. It was black and looked inhumanly smooth.

"Why is your arm like that," he inquired. "Is that a tattoo?"

Harry found himself regretting asking when Allen covered the tears on his arm with his other hand. "No, it's... well..."

He must have realized that he must have broached a sensitive topic because the ravenette focused on something else. "Look, there's a Firebolt over there."

Next up was their homework. Allen had finished his the first week of summer. Harry had not. And he had to admit that Allen was a better tutor than Hermione. He wondered if it's because he _had_ been a teacher before. Allen used metaphors or examples to make it easier for Harry to understand, helped him find shortcuts into getting the correct answer without actually telling him, and even brought over ice cream for each of them.

"You didn't have to buy me one," Harry stated after thanking him.

"It's a good thing I didn't," Allen commented as he sat across from him and licked his own ice cream. "Mr. Fortescue _gave_ them to me."

"Thank you Mr. Fortescue," Harry grinned.

"A-Allen?"

Lenalee was standing there uncertainly as she held bags of her purchases.

"...Lenalee," he responded.

"I didn't expect to see you here... Do you usually get your stuff this early?"

"No, not usually." He narrowed his eyes. "Kanda isn't here?"

"No. He gets his list earlier than us so that he could avoid everyone."

"Sounds like him..."

"Yes..." Lenalee looked like she wanted to say something but obviously thought better of it when her dark gaze flickered over to Harry. "I'll see you at school then."

She turned and walked off into the crowd. Harry watched her go for a moment before facing Allen. "So she's a part of your past?"

"Unfortunately." The white-headed boy sighed wearily. "I think we fought together or something."

"Fought?"

"Machines called Akuma." He waved his hand carelessly. "Bigger than Hagrid. If their bullet so much as touched the skin, it gave a virus that destroys the body on a cellular level and turns it into dust."

Harry gulped. Now he was getting an idea on why Allen didn't want his memories.

"You're Potions homework, Harry." The boy had fallen back into his teacher mode. "Now if I recall, we were discussing the properties of fluxweed and howit could influence a potion."

Harry picked up his quill.

* * *

Allen got to properly get to know the Weasley family. The reason for that _was_ primarily the Gryffindor and Slytherin rivalry and the fact that they all had their own lives to live. Regardless, Molly and Arthur were treating him like family and the Weasely twins were bombarding him with questions on how to properly cheat at poker.

"Fred," Molly chided from the dining room table. "Allen wouldn't cheat!"

Allen stared blank-faced at Molly before slowly turning to Fred. "It's always best to wear long sleeves when playing. It helps hide the cards you need. It works for all sorts of card games although I don't recommend trying to do that with wizard cards. They're spelled to prevent that sort of thing."

Fred and George had a riot while Molly looked apalled. Harry and Ron were grinning at each other, Arthur was shaking his head, and Percy looked mortified.

"It's not cheating," Allen corrected when Molly seemed as though she were about to faint. "It's called sleight-of-hand. You're merely... creating your own luck."

They had all finished dinner and gone upstairs to their room. Allen was about to follow when a hand fell on his shoulder. He glanced over to see Arthur there with his features screwed up in worry.

"Allen," he began. "On the Hogwarts Express, the Azkaban guards will be boarding in search of Sirius Black."

Sirius Black. That was the guy that was literally on every newspaper and television.

"Why are you telling me this," he asked with a frown.

"Because Dumbledore had wanted me to warn you. The guards, they're not human. They're creatures known to suck every bit of happiness from a person and thrive in their despair."

"Are you talking about Dementors?" He furrowed his brows. "Those are the worst creatures possible... The Darkest. Why would they be at _Hogwarts?_ "

"The Ministry of Magic allowed it."

"Well they're idiots, aren't they. Allowing creatures like that to roam around a school full of children."

"They'll be fine," Arthur stated. "Dumbledore will be there."

Dumbledore... Yes, he was a powerful wizard. But something tells Allen that he's also one that uses people if he finds the moment opportune.

"Thank you for telling me, Mr. Weasely. Goodnight." He faced Molly and bowed his head. "Goodnight to you as well, Mrs. Weasely."

They bid him goodnight and he went up to his room. Allen laid in his bed for the longest time as he stretched Tim's face, his mercury eyes clouded with thought. If he focused hard enough, he could hear Ron's breathing in the room next to his. And on the other side, it sounded like the snoring belonged to grumpy goblin.

He wondered if his hearing had always been this good or if he just realized it.

* * *

Allen's ears were ambushed by the noise at Kings' Cross. Trolleys were squeaking as they were pushed, the murmurs of hundreds of voices pounded in his skull, and the squawking or coraking of animals were annoying. He tried to keep a clear head as he shoved his trunk onto the train. It was hard to do since he was getting a migraine and it had _nothing_ to do with memories.

Harry found him pinching the bridge of his nose tightly, Timcanpy having gone off to inform Meredith that he was boarding the train.

"I need to tell you something," he said before Allen followed him onboard.

He managed to get Hermione and Ron together and they all found a compartment with a sleeping man. The new Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor R.J. Lupin. From there, they were all informed that Sirius Black must have escaped to kill Harry. Hermione and Ron took this news badly. Allen was confused.

"Why wait until _now_ to kill you," he asked as he held his fist to his chin. The other Gryffindors besides Harry looked at him as though he had lost his mind. "If he was friends with your parents and killed them when you were a year old, then he would obviously know how long it would take for you to end up at Hogwarts. And yet he's only been obsessing about it recently."

"Maybe he forgot," Ron added.

"Hm... I don't think so."

Harry found that Allen had to be right. It didn't make sense. But why else would Black have escaped? Then again, Allen was rightfully wary of Quirrel just because a stuttering man terrified of _everything_ wouldn't have become a DADA teacher.

"You know, you guys make me wonder if I should be thankful or upset that I'm in Slytherin," Allen stated wryly. "Everything seems to revolve around Harry."

"Not just Harry," Ron argued. He jabbed a finger in Allen's direction. "Riddle knew about _you_ last year. And Harry had told us before that You-Know-Who _knows_ you."

"Well I don't know him," Allen responded crossly. "For all I know, he could have confused me for someone else."

"There is no witch or wizard in the world that look even the _slightest_ like you."

He had a point there. The Slytherin frowned but didn't bother responded. With the trolley witch came past with sweets, they all helped themselves. Harry was biting into the end of a Chocolate Frog when Ron reached over Hermione to grab some snacks.

Harry inhaled sharply when he looked at his card. The action caused him to choke on his frog, sending glances over from his friends. He waved away their worries before shoving the card into Allen's hand. He opened his mouth to ask why it was given to him before his face showed on it with _Allen Walker_ inscribed elegantly on it. He turned it around to look at the passage.

 _"Victor and survivor of the Holy War in 1852. He played a role in Grindewald's defeat in 1945. He became a Hogwarts Professor at Dark Arts in 1932 where he continued until the newly instated Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, abolished its teaching and he was transfered to the Defense Against the Dark Arts position in 1964. His known hobbies are eating, playing cards, and polishing his golem."_

"The hobbies sound so much like me that it's creepy," Allen muttered.

 _'...That is you.'_

"Wait, is that a _gold_ card?" Ron reached out for it. "That's rare! Lemme see!"

But Allen held it close to him. He smiled innocently at the redhead as he glowered. "I'll only show you if you beat me at poker~."

Ron made a noise of annoyance. "Fine."

Then Allen's smile became more sharp and... dark. Harry couldn't help but surpress a chill that seem to invade the compartment. Even his voice sounded slightly demented.

"We'll use currency for betting but it will all go back to their rightful owners." That scary face of his darkened even more. "Instead, the loser has to tell us something embarrassing that happened in their life. And it has to be something _really_ embarrassing."

Harry didn't want to. It felt as though he was going to make a deal with the Devil. And yet when Hermione and Ron both pulled out Galleons, he had no choice but to follow through.

Imagine Ron's indignation when he lost for the fifth time in a row. His face and ears were as red as his hair.

"-so Fred and George shut the door on me while I was in the hallway and I had to explain to the cleaning lady why I was outside in my underwear."

Hermione and Harry were unsuccessfully stifling their laughter. Allen himself was grinning victoriously as he shuffled his cards. No one was thinking about that Chocolate Frog now.

"Another round, Ronald?" He held the cards up as he tilted his head questioningly. "I must say, you horrendous at Muggle games."

"N-no, I think I'm done," he said quickly. "Harry and Hermione can continue though."

"You're right," he agreed. "We haven't heard any of their embarrassing experiences."

Both of the mentioned Gryffindors almost looked fearful.

They played well into nightfall. Hermione and Harry were red in the face just like Ron had been and Allen decided to call it quits.

" _You_ didn't have to say anything embarrassing," the redhead declared.

"Because I didn't lose."

"How could you not-" He cut off and glared. "You cheated, didn't you!"

"Did you see me cheating," he inquired innocently.

"Well... no. But you must have!"

"If you haven't caught me cheating, then I assure you that I wasn't."

"You must have-"

Ron faltered when the train slowed down to a stop and the lights flickered off. Allen frowned at the sudden drop of temperature and peered outside the window.

"We can't be there yet," Hermione had stated.

"We're not." Allen turned away from the window. He could hear a faint... _something_ moving on the train. He just had to ignore the movements of the students. "We're being boarded."

"What?"

The Slytherin flinched violently when the compartment door slid open. It scraped loudly against the floor and startled him from his concentration. The next thing he knew, Ginny and Neville were clambering in. He murmured _Lumos_ to light everyone's faces. The door opened once more and Luna's pale face looked almost ghostly in his wand's white light.

"Oh there you are, Allen," she breathed, easily squeezing through the packed compartment to stand by his side. "I had wondered where you were."

"Ah, I'm sorry," he apologized.

His conversation and the ones the others had spouted up were silenced by the man who was in the compartment with them.

" _Quiet._ "

The weariness on his face was prominent. He moved past the Gryffindors on his way to the door and had just reached his hand out when it slid open.

A long hooded figure in a cloak stood in front of him. It paused where it was, the head of it moving slowly as though taking a look around the room. Then it inhaled deeply, as though trying to suck the very air from their lungs.

An intense cold washed over Allen as he made to move. Whatever spell he was going to cast was washed away when the darkness dragged him under.

 _A sharp pain digging deeply into his left eye._

 _His skin blackening and pain wracking his body as the virus tried to destroy it._

 _A katana pierced his side and sent flames licking at him internally._

 _A green light tearing the soul from his body and obliterating it._

 _"Neah! NEAH!"_

"Allen. _Allen._ "

His eyes fluttered open. A blurry face moved above him.

"I couldn't save them," he heard someone mumble distantly.

The face came into focus- they were frowning. Allen furrowed his brows when Lupin was looking at him. "Professor?" His eyes widening as he remembered the creature, he shot up almost immediately. Lupin barely had a moment to back away before they both would recieve an annoying headache. Allen shot his gaze around the compartment.

Ginny was sobbing, Neville was trembling, Luna was staring at the ground with a blankness he had never seen on her face before, Ron and Hermione were pale, and Harry was unconscious.

Allen shoved Lupin's hand away in favor of standing up. His body wasn't prepared for it and he found his cheek on the ground. Pain didn't register for him. Everything felt dreamy and distant. Surreal.

"You shouldn't move so quickly just yet," Lupin advised as Allen got to his feet once more. Now prepared, he stumbled his way over to Harry before half-falling, half-kneeling by his side. He placed his hand on Harry's neck and waited with a bated breath.

When a steady pulse could be felt, the Slytherin sighed in relief. Then he looked over to Luna. "Are you alright?"

Her silver gaze met his, a tear making its way down her cheek, before she subconsciously brushed it away and nodded. He turned his attention to everyone else. "Neville, are you okay? Ginny?"

"We're fine," Neville croaked.

"Thanks for worrying about Hermione and me," Ron added weakly.

"I was checking on people depending on the severity." Allen's tone sounded flat even to his own ears. "You and Hermione look fairly collected after coming across a Dementor."

"You're the one who had gotten the worst of it," Lupin commented as he held out a big piece of chocolate to Allen. "You were in a catatonic state and wouldn't respond for a good hour."

An hour... He had unwillingly lost an hour...? What if everyone in this compartment had gotten hurt? What if the Dementor did _more_ than what it had? He would have been useless to help.

He still hadn't taken the chocolate. Lupin held it out patiently and only when Allen look up at him did he take it.

"Thanks," he murmured and took a bite. He did feel a little better but that wasn't saying much. It felt as though the Dementor had the cold seep deep into his bones. They took happiness and thrived on despair... Was what he was feeling all the despair he had? It feels as though he could hardly move.

Harry had woken up minutes after. Lupin disappeared down the corridor after saying that he would be checking on the conductor.

"You went sort of rigid and fell out of your seat and started twitching..." Ron nodded over to Allen. "And he was about to get up before he straight up fell on his back. He was staring and wouldn't respond."

"Catatonic," the Slytherin stated dully.

"Yeah, that."

Allen was so glad to be off the train that he had forgotten Timcanpy until the golem went crashing into his face. He let out a wry smile before heading towards the carriages. The nearest Thestral nuzzled Allen's hand until he went ahead and stroked it's mane. Both Harry and Ron glanced at each other before looking at Hermione.

"You wouldn't get it," she responded. "It's a Thestral."

They only looked more puzzled when Allen patted it before entering the carriage. When the Thestrals began to move, he pretended that he didn't see the Gryffindors glancing at him worriedly from his peripheral vision.

"Allen?" Hermione asked.

He hummed questioningly as he continued to stare out the window. The rain was coming down in buckets.

"Are you alright?"

He hummed again. This time in neither confirmation or denial. He just... didn't want to properly respond at the moment. When they had gotten out, Draco's voice could be heard sneering.

"You _fainted_ Potter?" Draco looked delighted. "Is Longbottom telling the truth?"

Allen had gotten off the carriage and brushed roughly past Draco. When the blond cried out in indignation, Allen paused and half-turned towards the Slytherin as though forgetting something.

"Oh, right. I fainted too, Draco. Are you going to make fun of me as well?"

The boy stammered but he didn't need to for long. McGonagall had arrived. "Potter, Granger, Walker, I want to see you three."

They had been ushered over to her office where Pomfrey had given both Allen and Harry more chocolate before sending them out.

"What'd you see," Harry had asked as they waited for Hermione.

"It's not what I saw but what I felt," he grunted in response. "The card you had said that I had been in a war... I think I felt it." He paused. "What about you?"

"I heard... I-I think it was my mother. She was pleading for Voldemort to spare me."

"Hm..." Allen found himself glaring thoughtfully at the floor. "I'll have to look up Dementors. I'm afraid that I've never had a reason to read about them until now."

Hermione came out and they ended up walking back to the Great Hall. Hermione and Harry paused when Allen's path had begun to diverge at the grand entrance.

"Where are you going," she questioned.

"The kitchen." The Slytherin shot the Great Hall a withering look. "Everyone's so noisy, I can hear them from the stairs. The last thing I want is a migraine on top of whatever feeling those Dementors left me with. Besides, we missed the Sorting."

Harry himself could barely hear the inconsistent babble of students from where he stood. Regardless, both he and Hermione bid him goodnight and watched him disappear down the hall.

"What do you think is wrong with him," Hermione asked.

"...Nothing." Harry grabbed Hermione's arm. "Come on."

* * *

The next day was a bit easier for Allen. He had sat by Luna at the Ravenclaw table for breakfast. He was hardly there long when he heard footsteps walk up behind him and he paused getting a fork full of pancakes into his mouth. Timcanpy flew by and gulped it up easily enough, to which he dramatically sighed at.

"Lavi," he greeted wryly as he turned his head somewhat to watch the Ravenclaw sit on the other side of him. The Slytherin felt better about yeaterday's events but felt as though it was still affecting him. The surreal feeling still clung to... well, everything and there was a chill in his bones that was surprisingly easy to ignore. But it was there.

"Relax," the redhead stated without care. Honestly, he probably should have been a Weasley. "I'm not here to help you recover your memory or anything." He grinned broadly. I had started a little gambling ring and wondered if you wanted to join it."

"A gambling ring?"

 _'I'm interested,'_ the voice commented.

"Yeah. See, I have the entire thing set up. Poker, Wizards' Chess, Blackjack, Exploding Snap, Roulette, even a physical brawling ring. The teachers wouldn't have appreciated it if they knew so only fifth years and above as well as some carefully selected others."

Allen admitted quietly to himself that he _was_ curious about it. He turned towards Luna, who smiled dreamily back. "Would you like to join me in a secret gambling ring, Miss Lovegood?"

"Yes I would, Mr. Walker."

Lavi's grin widened even more. He leaned in closer to Allen and lowered his voice. "It takes place on the last day of every month and on the holidays. The secret entrance is on the seventh floor, across from the Barnabas the Barmy trapestry. Walk in front of the blank wall three times while thinking of gambling and a door would appear."

He got up and wandered further down the Ravenclaw table to where Lenalee was sitting.

"It does sound like fun," she stated.

"Yes, it does."

Allen left her at the Ravenclaw table to go and recieve his schedule.

* * *

Bathsheda Babbling was his Study of Ancient Runes professor. She was a black-haired witch and it became apparent that while she was not as strict as McGonagall, she held the Deputy Headmistress' no-nonsense attitude.

"As I'm aware you know, the Study of Ancient Runes help you learn and interpret ancient scriptures." Babbling paced the front of the room as her sharp eyes glanced at her students. "Sumerian was the oldest written language that actually used and applied runes to their writing. After that, other languages were known to follow suit. The Ancient Egyptians created wards and rituals in their Hieroglyphics that offered cleansing and prosperity as well as curses that were mainly used for protection. Specifically on tombs. The Akkadian language were known for their eccentric storytelling, each marking embedded in a spell that, when properly accessed by a wizard, showed the magical works carved into the obelisk."

It was safe to say that Allen rather enjoyed this class.

After that was Hagrid's joint class with the Gryffindors. It was going rather well even if Draco's whispers on how to ruin the class with Vincent and Gregory seemed to dig themselves into Allen's ears. The Hippogriffs were something beautiful and of course _he_ had to be the one to insult the prideful creature. There Hippogriff reared and there was a flash of talons. Pain blossomed in Allen's right arm as he grit his teeth and stood upright against the weight of the creature as his second pair of talons were caught. The first one had gotten Draco good on his arm and he was now rolling in the grass. If he hadn't gotten this one... Draco might as very well died.

Buckbeak clicked his beak at Allen as his hawk eyes bore into the Slytherin's daring silver ones. And then there was Hagrid who came along, pulling Buckbeak away. Draco was moaning pathetically when a pale Hagrid came back and scooped him up.

"C'mon," he grunted as he glanced over at Allen. "Better get yeh two ter Madam Pomfrey's."

"I'm fine," Allen responded.

"No yeh're not. Look at yeh arm, Allen. It's bad."

He did as was instructed and blinked when he noticed how deep the talons had gone. Allen was certain that the white color in his arm was bone and his blood was falling all over the ground.

"I can heal it myself." He nodded over to Draco. "Get him to Pomfrey's. He deserves to suffer his injury a little while due to his stupidity."

Hagrid looked uncertain but did so nonetheless. Harry, Ron, Hermione, _and_ Neville all hurried over to him.

"You really should go to Madam Pomfrey's," Hermione urged.

Allen didn't respond and instead traced his wound with his wand while muttering " _Vulnera Sanentur_ " under his breath. The blood ceased. Using the spell two more times, the wound had been cleansed and closed, leaving a scar that could be seen between the tears and bloodstain on his robes. After the use of _Tergeo_ and _Reparo,_ it was as though he had never been injured.

"And here I thought Hermione was the dictionary of magic," Rob stated incredulously.

"Yes well, being healed doesn't stop me from feeling the effects of bloodloss," was the Slytherin's dry response. He scowled. "Leave it up to Draco to ruin a perfectly good lesson."

Getting to know his classes for the next week was enjoyable. Arithmancy was a good mathematical challenge even if he dissuaded the thoughts about the future. Allen was also deadset on ignoring Draco after he sent a letter to his father pertaining to the events with the Hippogriff. He kept his arm _bandaged_ and reimagined the scene that happened. He disliked when people lied without cause and knew that whatever Draco had said, whatever Lucius was going to do had to be anything but good.

"Will you _talk_ to me already," he hissed.

The white-headed teenager shot Draco a dark look that seemed to take him aback. They were in Defense Against the Dark Arts and Lupin was explaining the properties of a Boggart. It was good to have an actual and proper teacher.

"Don't you have a professor to ruin," Allen demanded coldly before turning back to the lesson.

After a few of his questions had been answered, Lupin had informed them to imagine what they feared the most. To picture it as clearly as possible. Allen frowned and imagined everything he had seen these past two years. Fluffy the Cerberus, Acromantulas, a Basilisk, even a Dementor. And while all of them, the last one precisely, made him uncomfortable, they weren't something he _feared._ He knew that everyone had a fear and that he must have as well but he couldn't think of one.

The Biggart turned into many things. A demented clown with a maniacal grin, a large serpent, a merperson, a skeleton, and a few others that with the word _Riddikulus_ and imagination, turned into something hilarious. When Draco's hippiefied Lucius Malfoy turned towards Allen, it stared at him for several long moments. He stared back, wondering what form his fear would take. After a couple of seconds, whispers began to sound. _What if Allen didn't have a fear,_ one had asked.

Even Lupin looked curious and even more interested then he had before. Almost as though this was a spectacle he had been waiting to see.

 _CRACK._

Allem's eyes widened as he took an involuntary step back. Some girls could be heard gasping, others voicing their questions on what they were seeing. But Allen felt a number of emotions run past him. Shock, horror, despair, loss.

Standing where the Boggart was stood a metal skeleton attached to the frame. An upside-down star was on it's head with it's name carved into it in elegant letters. It looked just like the one in his memory. Even the name.

 _The moonlight glinted sharply off of the skeleton. The name Mana had been seared into the forehead and the purple glow that encased the body had long disappeared. Mana had spoken Allen's name. He had actually been brough back._

 _"How dare you!? How dare you turn me into an Akuma!?"_

 _Allen furrowed his brows. He didn't understand what Mana was going on about. Wasn't he happy to see him?_

 _"I want you to kill this boy and wear his skin as your own."_

 _The skeleton removed himself from the frame with ease. Allen took a step back. "M-Mana?"_

 _It approached slowly. As though it had been given an order it didn't want to obey. Allen called his name again, fear and uncertainty coloring his voice._

 _Pain slashed Allen's face when the skeleton brought its arm down. He found himself with his back to the ground and sharp metal being held to his throat. Mana... hurt him? Mana... had?_

 _"I curse you, Allen! I curse you!"_

 _For once in his life, his arm moved and it was not on Allen's accord. It transformed into a metal claw that threw the skeleton off. He had inly seconds to process what happened, what was going on, before it dragged Allen across the cemetery as though it were possessed. It had raised up and Allen knew what was going to happen._

 _"No! Don't hurt Mana! Mana! Mana, run!"_

 _"I love you... Allen."_

 _"Mana!"_

Allen found himself back in present still staring at the skelton in front of him. It felt like everyone was waiting on bated breath. Waiting to see what form Allen might turn this monstrosity into. If there were a Dementor in here, the Slytherin would have mistaken the chill in his bones for that creature.

"Mana..." He heard himself whisper.

" _A... All... en..._ " it croaked back.

He felt himself start. He saw himself raise his wand. There was no thought in his head about what he was doing. He was just acting.

" _Saccusempra!_ "

Sharp cries of alarm shot through the class when a bright, purple light came from Allen's wand and collided with the skeleton before blowing its way through the wall and continuing past the hallways until it knocked out another wall and showed the outside world behind it. Before anyone could question Allen or stop him, he turned on his heel and sprinted towards the door. He dimly recalled slamming into it before he managed to reach the doorknob and twisted it. He nearly fell when he made his way into the hallway and ran as fast as he possibly could.

He didn't have an idea on where he was going; he didn't care. He just wanted to be _away._

Poor Lavi narrowly missed being either turned to either ash from the spell or crushed by the debris from the wall. He was merely on his way back to class after relieving himself in the bathroom when his instincts kicked in just in time for him to avoid it. His green eye wide as he watched it take out another wall, he cautiously approached where it had come from to find a class of Slytherin standing in the staff room. He whistled as he relaxed and observed the hole. Then his eye met the gaze of the startled Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor.

"What do you teach to them that you don't teach to us?"

* * *

Allen was stretching Timcanpy's face as far as it would go when Lupin found him. He knew it was Lupin by the sound of his steps and, when he was close enough, the scent of his robes.

"...Hello Professor Lupin." He had dropped his hands into his lap but he had yet to let Tim go.

"Allen," he greeted in turn when he stopped beside him. "I figured that I would find you here."

"Probably because it's quiet and I can decide if I want to stay here and talk by the time someone reaches me."

Lupin was silent for a moment before he sat down beside Allen. "I came here to apologize for the Boggart. I hadn't realized that it would freak you out so much. If I had known, then-"

"You would have stayed quiet and let me proceed."

"I beg your pardon?"

Allen had stretched Timcanpy's face as far as it would go. In annoyance, Tim bit him back, encouraging his master to let go so he may settle down in his hair. "You were waiting for something to happen, Professor. It didn't matter at the time if it would upset me because fears are upsetting anyways. You wanted to see something you had never seen before. And you knew my name on the train even though I haven't told you it once." His gaze flit over to him. "You knew me from before, didn't you?"

"...Yes, I did." Lupin had on a wane smile. "It's strange to hear you call me professor when you were the one who taught me." He paused. "What was that thing the Boggart turned into? I've never seen it before."

 _'You never should have,'_ the voice popped up irritably. _'They're extinct and will be for as long as possible.'_

"It's called an Akuma." The Slytherin closed his eyes as he sighed. "A creature made of human despair. That was the beginnings of one, I believe."

"So you fear despair." The professor had murmured it quietly to himself.

"I think I fear what comes from it." He turned his head towards Lupin. "Let's not try the Boggart with me in the room again. I'd rather not take out another wall."

"Another _pair_ of walls." The teenager raised an eyebrow. "Oh, and I believe that you nearly killed Mr. Lavi Patton." His eyes widened. "But he's okay and has been pestering me about what spell was used the entire afternoon."

 _'Sounds like him.'_

"Ravenclaws..." Allen shook his head and got to his feet. Lupin's voice made him pause.

"You do still play cards, don't you?"

The Slytherin eyed him peevishly. Card playing was the best of his skillset. "Of course."

"I would like to have a card game with you some time."

"...I would be delighted to beat you in an honest card game, Professor."

"Honest?" Lupin's smile widened. "I think we both know that isn't true."

"Whatever are you talking about?"

* * *

 _ **Okay, so I had gotten a**_ **little _distracted today with some stuff. After I wrote my little portion on the Study of Ancient Runes class, I went to the outside world (Die sun! You shouldn't exist!) and came back with Assassin's Creed: Origin. I have been looking_ so _forward to this game because Egypt is definitely my favorite. And it was a little unintentional. The next chapter probably won't be updated till two to three days later because I plan on spending some time playing the mentioned game and Red Dead Redemption II, which I had also gotten. APOLOGIES!_**

 ** _~MillenniaPhoenix - No choice indeed. I still don't know how many chapters will make up this arc :D But there's a_ lot _I got to do in it. XD It makes me happy to know that you like it so much. I was laying down when you sent the review and I ended up not sleeping too long because of how happy I was. And then ideas began to play in my head -_-. ^_^Anyways, here's the next chapter._**


	7. Chapter VII (vers 2)

_The Professor stared down at the four students with his arms crossed. He was beginning to regret his decision on letting the students fall into groups of four. Mainly because it was James Potter who ended up with his hand shredded... At the dare of his best friend, Sirius Black._

 _"James..." The teenager squirmed under his teacher's sharp eyes. "Tell me..._ why _did you stick your hand into the cage when I specifically told you_ not _to?"_

 _"..."_

 _"Peter, Remus, you two are free to go to your next class."_

 _The two boys quickly scurried off, leaving Sirius and James to look at their Professor sheepishly._

 _"I will be confiscating your wands and you will remain with me for the entirity of this class period. You may go to Madam Pomfrey's afterwards." He glanced over at the small creature by his side. "Timcanpy, please inform their teachers that they will be receiving their assignments later. If we're lucky, James may not end up shredding his other hand."_

 _James Potter blanched._

* * *

Lavi didn't know whether he was happy Allen arrived or regretted it. He greeted the Slytherin with a big smile upon entrance and he could already see the longing in Allen's silver gaze as he eyed the roulette. But he'd be damned if he didn't find some way to get money out of this. Unlike Lenalee and Kanda, his birth mother was a Muggle and his birth father was poor, leaving him with hardly any way to get Galleons besides trading currency. He sure as hell haven't told any of them about reincarnation.

"You can play," Lavi began as he slung an arm over Allen's shoulder. " _But_ you have to give me half of your winnings."

A noise of protest, just like the one he used to hear in the past, escaped Allen's lips and made Lavi's heart twist. He wanted the Allen he knew back. The beansprout he would use to tease. Someone else who shared their past. This Allen seemed to have lived a different life to the one they knew. He was different but so similar.

"You'll get a third," the boy stated.

"Two-thirds."

"A quarter."

"Four quarters and a half."

"Half a qu- Wait, what?" Allen blinked at Lavi. "That doesn't make any sense. You'll get nothing."

 _"Fine,_ I'll take the third." It was better that he got something.

And then Allen was gone.

Lavi had a good time gambling. Lenalee and Kanda wandered around monitoring everyone else to make sure that they didn't get in a fight. Kanda himself was going to try avoiding any interaction with Allen.

The Ravenclaw always made sure that he stayed a table away from Allen and observed him when he could. The Slytherin probably seemed like an angel to the other students with his polite demeanor but right now, some of them were wary. With any risky move Allen had done or if there was any belief on the opponent's face that they were going to win, Black Allen appeared.

Yes, the air around him seem to darken, his eyes looked a little more soulless, his smile sharp and dark. It made his opponent waver but then again, they never had a chance of victory.

Lavi shuddered when he watched Allen play. Back in the Black Order, if he looked _very_ carefully, he might be able to catch a faint glimpse of the cards leaving his sleeves. His Bookman eye was trained to catch ahold of things like that. Now however, Lavi couldn't see anything when Allen casually reached for new cards.

 _He had gotten better,_ Lavi realized. And that was scary as hell.

He had forgotten that human interaction was a two-way street. And even though Kanda didn't so much as look at him, Allen piped his voice up to make it heard.

"Why don't you join in, BaKanda? Or are you scared that I'll beat you."

And Kanda was quick to retaliate. "Tch, I'm not going to lose my money to a cheat."

"You think I'm cheating?" Allen raised an eyebrow as Lavi rolled a bad number of die. He wondered if it was an omen. "I think you're just scared."

Lavi felt himself facepalm when Kanda whipped around and glared at the Slytherin. "I'm sure as _hell_ not scared."

"Whatever you say, Sacredy-Cat~"

Okay, Allen might be too high on his winning streak. The room had to be closed down and evacuated when Kanda lifted Allen up and threw him onto the table. It cracked beneath his weight and Lavi was there holding Kanda back by his arms. Lenalee had jumped in-between them with a glare.

"Hey, Allen?" Lavi was really straining to talk as he held a rampaging Kanda back. "I think this is over so can you please leave? I'll find you in the morning for my share."

Because he had admittedly lost most of his own.

Allen eyed Lavi before nodding and walking off. He told Lenalee and Lavi goodnight before leaving the room. Kanda huffed when he was gone then shrugged Lavi off roughly.

"Yuu," he chided petulantly. "What have I told you about getting into a fight with Allen."

"He _started_ it."

"...You really are a child."

Lavi narrowly dodged a punch to the face. What was up with everything wanting to kill him?

* * *

Allen lingered outside the Quidditch tryouts for Slytherin. He rubbed his arms as he watched others go before him, still not entirely sure on whether or not he wanted to do this. His body was developing an ache of sorts that made him wonder if those Dementors actually did cause any long term effects. He would have to ask Harry if he felt any different.

"I don't think he'd go out with me..."

Allen's attention drifted over to a group of girls that had come along for the trials. Pansy Parkins was watching Draco as she nervously bit her lower lip and the other girls whispered their encouragement. The thing was, their whispers sounded as though they were right beside him.

"Are you going to try," Draco asked. Having been to busy listening to the girls, Allen flinched at the sudden loudness of his voice before turning to face him.

"Ah, I haven't decided yet," he chuckled as he scratched his cheek with a smile. He hadn't forgiven Draco but for Quidditch, he would have to make a better effort at conversation if he wanted to win. "I'll admit, I'm a little nervous."

"Why? Because you haven't got a broom?"

"Well... yes, there is that."

"You can just borrow mine." He held it out to Allen. The white-headed teenager blinked in surprise before taking it. Draco acted as though this thing was a prized trophy and never even let Gregory or Vincent touch it. "What position are you trying for?"

"Beater."

"Brute force?" Draco looked him over. "You don't seem the type."

"I beat you and the other two one-handedly in first year, hadn't I?"

The blond grew pink. Allen smiled at him before he heard his name called by Flint. He held his breath before telling Draco to give him luck. He was soon in the air with a bat in hand. Lucian Bole was the person who was to hit the Bludger at him and Allen back. As he held the Bludger tightly against his chest, the dark-haired boy eyed Allen dubiously. He narrowed his eyes at the doubt and tightened his grip on the bat. Bole threw the Bludger into the air and have it a hearty smack before it went streaking towards Allen.

The Slytherin watched it as he prepared himself. Bringing back the bat, he swung his arm forward when the ball reached him.

One-hundred fourty-nine pounds of iron went skyrocketing back to Bole. Allen's hand vibrated from the contact and he was shaking it to get feeling back as he watched Bole's eyes widen and he dodged the Bludger entirely instead of attacking it.

"I've never seen _anyone_ hit a Bludger like that," Bole commented to Flint when he landed. He looked down at the grass when the other teammates were mutterng about it. "I'd say that we should definitely get him on the team."

"Alright, Walker." Flint was staring at the teenager as though he were a new specimen. "You're in."

* * *

" _What?_ " Ron exclaimed when Allen told them this news at lunch. Luna had happilly congradulated him as she sat at the table. "You're playing on the _team?_ "

"I don't understand what's so upsetting about that," the Slytherin responded with a frown. His spoon was left in the beans next to Timcanpy. "I thought you'd be happy."

"I mean, I am but... it's _Slytherin._ "

"Well we both know that I can't play for Gryffindor," he stated crossly. "Heaven forbid that I actually try and do something fun that doesn't require me risking my life."

"No, it's not that. Slytherin and Gryffindor have bad blood between them. What if Harry's worried about it."

"I'm not," the ravenette stated quickly. "It might be fun."

Allen heard the _"yeah right"_ that Ron had muttered under his breath.

"Why is it that anything _I_ do related to Slytherin seem like such a crime," he hissed as he glared at Ron. "I took Draco's side, I said he was innocent, and you all went behind my back to see for yourself." Harry, Hermione, and Ron flinched at the statement. "I decided to play Quidditch and you're getting upset over it. I'm _not_ a Gryffindor, Ronald. We're not always going to be on the same side."

Ron gaped at him as Allen got to his feet and picked up a couple of rolls as he did so. He shot another glance at the redhead. "And I _will_ work hard to win. Because giving Harry a fair and good game is the only honor I can give him as a rival."

Then he stalked off. Luna watched him go for a moment before she turned back to her chicken leg.

"You made Allen mad," she stated airily.

Allen found himself standing just in front of the Whomping Willow. He stared at it for a while as he tried to recall when it had been planted.

 _An eleven-year old boy with brown hair watched the newly-planted tree warily as he stood beside the Headmaster._

He shook his head to rid himself of the image. He probably didn't need to know. Allen closed his eyes and breathed in the outside air. It was nice and quiet. No voices were there to annoy him, the one in his head was surprisingly silent, and all he had for company was Timcanpy.

He opened his eyes before approaching the tree.

The Willow lashed out almost immediately. Allen bounded to the side to avoid being crushed by it's large branches. He had to duck when another swooped for his face and then improvise with a handspring when another branch came for his feet. He heard a noise, something soft hitting the grass, before his attention was disturbed by the new sound and he turned towards it.

He paid for it dearly when the tree collided with his chest and he was sent flying. His head and back hit the soil, his vision blackening for a split moment as the air was taken from his lungs. He ended up gasping as the cloudless sky hung above him almost mockingly. There was a fluff of black dotting his view and for a moment, he thought that he was passing out.

Until something cold pressed itself against his cheek.

Allen flinched away from it before he noticed that it was the nose of a large, black dog. He sighed in relief and slowly reached up to pet it behind the ear. "So you're my intruder," he muttered. Then he dropped his hand and instead tried to sit up. His chest ached but none of his ribs seemed to be broken. "Reminds me of when the troll hit me." He glanced over at the dog. "What are you doing here, anyways? Do you have an owner?"

He didn't recieve a response, not that he had expected one. Allen checked it's neck for a collar or a tag. The dog's eyes seemed to shine with intelligence. He held his fist to his chin as he debated the existence of a magical dog. They're weren't any that fit the charactersitics. "Hm, no owner. Perhaps I can ask Dumbledore if he would allow you to stay in the cast- Where are you going?"

The dog had pulled away and gone streaking straight to the Forbidden Forest at his words.

Allen came back to the tree the next day with food. He waited patiently until the dog appeared and gave it to him. He ate it gratefully and sat by Allen easily enough when he decided to talk to it. It was a simple thing such as how his day had gone, how he couldn't interact much with the Golden Trio because he was still frustrated with Ron, and how he ended up in the library helping Neville with his homework.

"I can get you more food, you know," Allen had stated when he took in the skeletal figure of the dog. "You just got to meet me here."

It was strange on how the dog seemed to understand him.

* * *

Halloween was buzzing with students. It was really giving Allen a headache because every noise seemed amplified. He couldn't remember Halloween being so loud. And the smell of all that food overpowered his smell but that he didn't mind as much. The food smelled delicious.

"You look unwell," Luna told him as he sat beside her.

"Headache." He smiled politely at her. He didn't want to mention that his body hurt and felt as though it were being weighed down. He had searched up Dementors and was surprised to find that instead of sucking out the soul and destroyed someone mentally, they shouldn't cause any actual pain. Not like how he was feeling. And Harry had said that he was alright after coming across them.

"Are you going to go to Hogsmeade," she questioned.

"No, I don't think so. A town full of excited students is not what I need."

She nodded in agreement.

So while everyone else in his year and above went to Hogsmeade, Allen found himself outside Lupin's classroom.

"Allen," he asked with surprise after opening the door. "You're not going?"

"Too noisy," was his response. He held up a deck of cards. "Seeing that I have to wait to gamble, would you enjoy a harmless card game with me?"

Lupin smiled faintly and allowed him to enter. A Grindylow was watching from the corner of the room. The next lesson, he presumed. They played for some time, Allen basking happily in the near-quiet as he beat Lupin in cards a couple of times.

"Before we begin the third round of my defeat," Lupin checked the time. "I need to do something."

Allen agreed and Lupin left the classroom. In his boredom, he shuffled the cards with practiced ease. Tim had settled on his head as they waited and soon, they were not only rejoined with Lupin's presence but with Harry's.

"Oh, have you come to play as well?" he asked.

"Er..."

"I ran into Harry just outside," Lupin informed. "I asked if he wanted to see the Grindylow."

"Ah. Well, it's over there." He motioned to the corner of the room.

Harry asked Lupin about why he hadn't let the ravenette face the Boggart when it was his turn.

"I assumed that if a Boggart faced you, it would assume the shape of Lord Voldemort."

Harry corrected him by saying that he feared Dementors.

"That suggests that what you fear most of all is fear. Very wise."

"What is it that scares Allen," Harry had asked, shooting a glance at the Slytherin. He paused in the midst of dealing his cards. "You took out a wall..."

A faint tinge of pink colored Allen's cheeks as he chuckled weakly. "You fear fear and I fear despair. Or- the ruin that comes from despair."

He nodded but it was obvious that he didn't entirely understand.

A knock sounded and Lupin asked for them to enter. It was Snape, with a steaming goblet.

 _Wolfsbane potion,_ he thought, recognizing the scent. He had concocted one of those before during Snape's extra lessons. It smelled just as foul as his own had but was definitely stronger. Wolfsbane potion was primarily used for werewolves.

Harry and Allen had to leave with Lupin's obvious dismissel.

"What do you think was in that potion," Harry asked as they walked.

"Nothing harmful." He was tucking his cards back into his pocket. "I recognized the potion."

"Really? What was it?"

Allen's thoughts flickered on the goblet. Werewolves were frowned upon in Wizard society. He didn't think that Lupin would very much like it if Allen told Harry, which was undoubtedly going to reach Hermione and Ron. Besides, it wasn't his secret to tell.

"Lupin has an illness," he began slowly. "And that potion is specifically tailored to helping him deal with it."

Harry didn't seem to believe it.

* * *

The school was on high alert after Black's attack on Gryffindor for the next few weeks. The upcoming Quidditch match seemed just what Allen and everyone needed to get their minds off everything in order to relax. His first match would be in icy rain and strong winds. And he couldn't help but admit that he was excited.

"We're not playing them," Draco informed informed Allen cheerfully the day _before_ the match.

He was really trying not to punch Draco in his grinning face.

"I apologize for my team's lack of tact or brain cells." He bowed in front of Oliver Wood, Gryffindor captain. "I was looking forward towards our game."

Wood looked befuddled at the thought of a Slytherin, even Allen, bowing to him He had gone into the horrible weather and _apologized._

"There's nothing we can do about it," Wood responded as he straightened up. "We have to focus on our match with Hufflepuff but I look forward to our match."

"Provided that my team could play honorably," he grumbled. Then he smiled at Wood. "I'd wish you good luck but... well, you don't want my luck."

"We need all the luck we can get."

"Not mine."

So when the match of Gryffindor vs. Hufflepuff began, Allen could be found in the stands with Luna and Neville. Luna was cheering for both teams, Neville was going for his, and Allen was busy shifting his attention between both teams to assess their strategies.

Harry was diving after the Hufflepuff Seeker when he felt that intense cold sweep through his very being. Allen could hear both Luna and Neville calling his name before he was washed back into the darkness.

 _His body was at it's limit._

 _Allen huffed as he glared at the only Akuma remaining; a Level 4. Lenalee had fallen unconscious and Miranda's Time Out was what had been protecting her. Allen knew that was the best she could do. If she were to stop and switch to Time Recovery, her stamina would run out and Lenalee would be defenseless._

 _He hated on how he was so useless. On how his body was always lit up with pain. He hated being weak._

 _The Akuma raised it's cannons with a predatory smile on it's face. Allen scowled. Even if the virus didn't kill him, the bullet itself would. He had no way to move and no where to hide. This was it._

 _BANG._

 _His eyes widened with utmost horror. A figure had appeared in front of him, her silhouette outstretched as though inviting the bullet to her chest. She slammed into Allen, who moved to hold her despite the heavy weights that seemed to have settled on his body._

 _"M-Miranda!"_

 _"Allen..." The woman's chest was bleeding but she didn't seem bothered by it. Even as black stars began to spread across her skin, she reached up and held her hand against Allen's cheek. "It's... up to you now..."_

 _Blood fell from her lips._

 _"Thank you... for thanking me... For saving... me..."_

 _Then Miranda Lotto collapsed into dust._

* * *

When Allen opened his eyes, it was to see Lavi staring down at him. He blinked at the redheaded teenager once, twice even, before he spoke.

"...Miranda."

He jerked back with wide eyes, obviously not having expected Allen to say that. The teenager gave a grunt before forcing himself to sit upright and take a look around. There was a multitude of beds. He frowned as he took in the room. "Where am I?"

"The Hospital Wing," Lenalee had answered from where she was sitting on the bed.

"The Hospital Wing," he repeated as his enviroment came back to him. Then he slumped back onto his pillows and stared up at the ceiling. "Oh."

"You said Miranda." Lavi glanced over at Lenalee. "Is that what the Dementors showed you?"

The Slytherin hummed in confirmation. His head felt like someone had mistaken his brain for a drum kit. "Is that why you two are here?"

"Yep." The Ravenclaw rubbed his arms. "Dementors are horrible creatures. The worst the past of a person, the more severe our reactions. Lenalee, Yuu, and I woke up this morning. Pomfrey wants us to stay another night for observation. _Yuu_ decided that he was going to walk out anyways."

"How is BaKanda a Hufflepuff?" Allen scowled at the door as though Kanda might be behind it. "He seems like a Slytherin to me."

"Do you _want_ him in the same House as you?"

" _No._ "

Lenalee giggled quietly. Madam Pomfrey came scurrying in a little later.

"Patton, _bed._ "

"Aw, but I wanted to talk to the Beansprout a little longer."

"My name is _Allen,_ " he hissed.

"Oh, it's good to see that you're awake, Allen. How do you feel?"

"I have a headache," he responded honestly as he sat up. "I feel a little chilly and there are some aches but other than that, I'm fine."

"That sounds like the average symptoms of a Dementor," she admitted. "You have visitors as well. Would you like for them to visit while I fix you up a potion."

"Ah, yes please."

The witch hurried off. A couple moments later, an " _Allen_ " could be heard and he found hinself nearly strangled to death in black and red robes.

"N-Neville," he choked. "I can't breath!"

"I thought you died or something. You've been motionless for _days_ and I didn't know what happened-"

"But you're fine now and that's what matters," Luna added as she walked up to the bed. She held out something. "Here, I got you a Chocolate Frog."

"We were suppose to brings gifts!?" Neville looked absolutely horrified. "If I had known..."

"It doesn't matter." Allen smiled as he laughed lightly at Neville's reaction. "Here, would you like some help on your homework?"

"Y-you've just woken up, hadn't you? You don't have to tutor me right now."

"Nonesense." He nodded his head to the bookbag still attached to the Gryffindor. "We can get Potions out of the way like we always do."

"...Okay."

Madam Pomfrey came back to give Allen the potion and seemed to debate whether or not to tell him off for doing schoolwork when Harry and his friends entered, all of them looking relieved with Timcanoy flapping behind them. She decided against it when Allen affectionately rubbed his cheek against his golem's face.

"I'm glad that I'm not the only one who fell unconscious," the ravenette commented when Tim was free to fly once more.

"Harry!" Hermione reprimanded sharply.

"Hey, I fainted too," went Lavi.

"You deserve it," Ron shot back.

"Ouch." The Ravenclaw rested a hand on his chest. "That is _so_ not true, Ronnikins." Luna decided to pipe up.

"You do."

"Luna! You wound my pride!"

Needless to say, everyone was amused.

When night fell and Lavi and Lenalee had fallen asleep, Allen stared up at the ceiling. He had taken Pomfrey's potion hours ago but it hadn't even begun working. His head was still hurting and the coldness in his body was replaced by aches and pains. He had thought that a nightly walk would do, even if it was around in the infirmary. However, when Allen got to his feet, his vision swam and the room swayed. He pressed his hand to his head and screwed his eyes shut in hopes that it would stop.

It didn't stop but it did get bearable enough for him to make his way toi te nearest window and push it open. The cool air felt good against Allen's skin and he rested his head on the frame as he stared out into the cloudy night. His fingers flit up towards his left shoulder, where the pain in his body felt more prominent.

He gave it a small squeeze.

* * *

At the start of Christmas break, Allen was told of Black's relation to Harry. Of how he was James Potter's best friend. Something about it didn't sound right to Allen. Black waits twelve years to escape Azkaban, attacks the Gryffindor tower to get inside during Halloween (he was doubting that it was lucky chance at all that it happened during the feast) and betrays what what his best friend for Voldemort?

"Don't go searching for him yet," Allen advised.

"Why?" Harry's tone was dull. "Because it's dangerous?"

Yes, Hermione and Ron had been lecturing him on this.

"No." Allen made sure to keep his tone calm and even. "Because we don't have all the facts."

"He helped _kill_ my _parents!_ What other facts do I need!?"

"Oh?" Allen tilted his head. "So you're a hundred percent sure that Sirius Black helped Voldemort murder your parents?"

"No but that's what everyone's saying! That _Black_ was the one to do it!"

"Harry, our world is constantly embedded with magic. You can't trust the words of others because they might have either been deceived or are the decievers. The only thing you can do is to see it for yourself."

After he manged to quell Harry from thoughts of revenge, he later found himself in the library with the Golden Trio scanning the contents for things about Hippogriffs. Hagrid had gotten a letter saying that Buckbeak would be held on trial. Hearing the thudding of books continued to amplify the headache that's clung to Allen's skull since his last catatonic spell from the Dementors. He knew that he was being quieter than usual, didn't fall into their playful banter like he normally did, but that was simply because he didn't have the energy to.

"Is something wrong with Allen," Hermione whispered to Harry as she watched him disappear behind a couple of bookcases. "He's been acting strange all year."

"The Dementors affect him worse than me," the Gryffindor replied just as quietly. Then he remembered what Lupin had said about why he fainted as opposed to most others in the school. "I think he has a really bad past."

"Didn't he grow up in an orphanage?"

Yes and no. According to his Chocolate Frog, Allen had survived a war. He had to of seen things that nobody else had. He just didn't remember. So instead of answering Hermione's question, Harry merely shrugged.

"I believe I'm going to call it quits for today." Allen had returned from around a bookcase with a pile of books stacked up to his nose. "I'll check these out, read them tomorrow, and get back to you on this as soon as I possibly can."

The next day, Allen was sitting just out of reach of the Whomping Willow as he marked down pages that would be essential to Hagrid's case and gave the black dog, who he christened Dog, some scraps. He was looking a lot better compared to the first time Allen had met him.

"The Dementors are what's doing this to me." He had taken a break and laid sprawled in the snow. The cold was very soothing to him recently. Normally, he wouldn't be out here without a jacket. "That's all it is. And the funny thing is that my left arm doesn't hurt at all. But where Innocence becomes flesh..." He frowned as he focused on it. "That hurts the most..."

Dog whined and pressed his nose into Allen's left hand.

* * *

Christmas Day wasn't as bad as he had expected. Draco had gone home for the holidays as well as the other two. He almost had the Commons to himself, save for one boy, and tried to enjoy the Christmas cheer. Lavi, Kanda, Lenalee, Luna, and Neville had gone home as well. He was just arriving into the Great Hall when he came across a witch that he hasn't seen before.

"Hello, Walker," she said in a misty way that reminded him of Luna. "On your way to eat, I presume?"

"Yes. And you?"

"Yes. I was crystal gazing when I saw myself sitting in the Great Hall for lunch."

He then knew who it was that he was talking to. Sybill Trelawney. He smiled politely at her before approaching the table and taking the only vacant seat next to the mitarashi dango.

"You're all fortunate that I have arrived," Trelawney had said when she counted the chairs. "Thirteen is an unlucky number. The first to rise is usually the first to die."

As Dumbledore conjured her a seat and Timcanpy flew to the table to gobble up one of the dangos, Allen found himself frowning. "I tend to think of fourteen as an unlucky number.

"Oh no, dearie. It's thirteen."

McGonagall had a sneaky, snarky comment to say about that.

A couple hours of eating and chatter filled up the day before both Ron and Harry took off. Then Hermione told McGonagall all about a Firebolt that Harry had gotten for Christmas. He grabbed some extra food from the table before leaving the Great Hall so that he could feed Dog. He didn't want Dog to be alone on the holidays.

 _Ba-dum._

Unfortunately for him, a throbbing headache overcame Allen with such a magnitude that his vision blurred and he found himself on his hands and feet. Small clouds of smoke escaped his lips as he tried focusing his eyesight. When he saw what his skin was showing between the sleeve of his robe and glove begin to darken, he figured that he was hallucinating. And his shoulder felt as though it was being _stabbed._

A nudge from Dog was all it took for Allen to adjust his train of thoughts elsewhere. When he blinked and was able to see, his skin was back to its usual paleness. Dog whined worriedly at Allen as he forced himself to his feet.

"I'm fine," he panted. But he didn't understand what that was. An attack? Mental maybe? Could the food have been poisoned? He felt weaker than he had ever been. A leaf would be able to push him over if it wanted. No, there's no way the food at Hogwarts was _poisoned._

Dog seemed worried. He wasn't the only one. Especially when it happened again.

On the last day of the holidays, Allen and Timcanpy came across Hermione in the library. She was working almost feverishly on her schoolwork. Her eyes looked red and an occasional sniffle escaped her- she was crying.

"What are you doing in here," he inquired as he entered, trying to make it seem as though he hadn't realized her distress.

"Harry and Ron are mad at me," Hermione began. "Because he got a Firebolt, one of the best brooms, and McGonagall took it away to get it tested on. I _want_ Harry to be safe... It could have been sent by Black for all we know."

"So to deal with the weight of their anger, you decided to come to the library..." He eyed the table in front of her. "And redo all of your homework."

"I just felt like I could have done better. I double-checked it and now I have to completely rewrite Flitwick's assignment-"

"Hermione."

"-and I'm not sure of the accuracy on my Arithmancy charts-"

"Hermione."

"-not to mention that the runes in Babbling's class has double meanin- _Hey!_ " In order to get her attention, he had closed her book. "I was working on that!"

He shook his head, having made a decision on what he was going to do for today. "This is the last day of the holiday and what you want to do is work? I think not. Here, help me put your stuff up."

She did so begrudgingly. Her bag was stuffed with books so much that it was ripping at the seams. After everything had been crammed in there, he shook his head. "You and you're thirst for knowledge. Sometimes I wonder why you weren't a Ravenclaw."

"Because I'm courageous."

"Courageous. So _that's_ what you call it. I admit, I thought that it would be something else."

Hermione made a face and shoved him playfully. Allen gaped at her in return before looking offended. Her expression wavered before he grinned and he playfully shoved her back. She tried to do the same but he bounded out of reach. Then he held up her bag with a smile. "Let's see if you can get your schoolwork back."

"Allen!"

Hermione chased Allen out of the library and down the halls. Her constant laughter was refreshing in showing that he wasn't taking this game too far. He was also quite surprised when she kept up some, even if her stamina waned more quickly than his. When they made it to the stairs, Allen didn't even bother with the steps and slid down the rail.

"That's not fair," he heard Hermione call as he pushed the doors to the entrance hall open.

Snow still packed the castle grounds. Allen set Hermione's back near the steps before moving a couple feet away and scooped up a pile of snow. When she came out of the castle, a snowball greeted her in the face.

"Allen!" she shrieked. Then she grabbed some snow and flung her own snowball at him.

Allen wasn't sure just how long they stayed in the snow. He was happy that Hermione was feeling a lot better than before. When he had recieved his last snowball, the two decided to call it quits and rest in the snow.

"...Maybe I shouldn't have told McGonagall," Hermione admitted after about five minutes.

"And why is that?"

"Because if there is nothing wrong with it, then they'll rub it in my face!"

"And if there was?"

"Then... then..." Hermione's face contorted in frustration. "Then I told them so!" She paused. "But... if there isn't..."

"Hermione..." Allen sighed. "Friends will get mad at friends. It's what people do. You cared for their safety even when they didn't. So yes, they'll be mad at you. Everyone is entitled to their emotions. Just... don't let _their_ feelings disrupt _your_ resolve."

Hermione bit her lip and looked down at the snow. "Did... you have any friends that got mad at you?"

 _"Why did you stop me!?"_

 _There was a glare and a sharp slap._

 _"Because we're friends!"_

"Yes..." Allen held his hand to his cheek as the memory flit in his mind. A soft smile made its way onto his lips. "I got slapped for it."

Alarm flit across Hernione's face.

"Don't worry, I'm sure that I had done something incredibly stupid and deserved it."

"You don't know what you had done?"

"Not in the least." He got up to his feet and held out his hand. "Let's head back inside-"

 _Ba-dum._

"A-Allen!" Hermione moved to help Allen when he staggered and nearly fell, clutching his left shoulder. She jerked her hands away almost as soon as her hands met his shoulders. "You're burning up! Did you come outside sick!?"

"I'm... I'm fine," he managed to say in between huffs. His eyes were screwed shut and head tilted towards the ground as he tried to will the pain away. "Give me a moment..."

"No, you're not alright." Hermione leaned over to give a stern but worried look at Allen's face. Then she released a sharp gasp. "You skin is becoming gray!"

"Medical condition," he grunted, his fingers digging into his shoulder. "It'll go away... in a moment..."

And it was, leaving Allen _mostly_ painless and breathing heavily.

"I've never seen a medical condition like that," Hermione stated.

 _'You better spin some tale,'_ the voice advised. And as Allen spoke, he improvised.

"It's a rare condition," he began slowly as his throbbing brain turned rapidly. "Magical and inherited. One of my parents must have had it."

"Can it be cured?"

 _'If only...'_

He shook his head, deciding to follow the voice on this. "It can't be cured or treated. It just... comes and goes. All I have to do is endure it. I haven't had this in... well, years."

"Does..." Hermione hesitated. "Does it kill people?"

"No, not as far as I know." He looked pleadingly at her. "You _can't_ tell anyone about this. Not Harry and Ron, no one."

"What? Why not?"

"I don't want to be treated differently. Dumbledore knows, so do some of the teachers, but I don't want special treatment. Promise me, Hermione."

"O-okay, I promise."

Allen relaxed, having felt a lot better about this now. Better, but still a little guilty. Because he knew that everything he said was a lie. He didn't know if it killed, no one but her knew about it, and it isn't a condition that came from blood heritage. Or at least he didn't _think_ it did.

"We should head inside now..." Allen got to his feet and helped Hermione to hers. He still felt weak and he probably looked pale but he smiled at Hermione anyways. "I'm starving."

At least he got a weak giggle from that.

* * *

The match between Slytherin and Ravenclaw was... difficult for Allen. He didn't expect the booming of the crowd to hurt his ears as much as it did and aggravate his head worse. But it got easier when they were flying. He had nearly unseated one of the Chasers with a Bludger but he was yelled at by Bole to tone down his strength.

Apparently the other Slytherin Beater couldn't hit it properly.

It might have been fun if Allen's aching body hadn't ruined it for him. But he kept playing until the end of the game, his efforts being what pulled Slytherin just barely past the Ravenclaws.

"We're going to wipe the _floor_ with those Gryffindors," Draco went cheerfully.

Hermione's relationship with the boys seemed like it was going to clean uo when he saw McGonagall give Harry back his Firebolt but the next day, she was just as upset as ever. Crookshanks might have eaten Scabbers. He tried his best to make her feel better as he helped her with the Hippogriff work and her own schoolwork at Hagrid's during the afternoon, which was slowly piling up.

And then Sirius Black seemed to have successfully broken into Gryffindor's Tower.

"Why would he run," Ron asked after boasting about the confrontation.

It was yet another thing to add to Black's list of peculiarities. Neville was upset about the fact that _he_ was the one to lose the passwords that allowed a murder into the building. When he received a Howler from his grandma in the morning, Allen was the first person he presented it to. He regarded the smoking envelope for a moment before deciding that Neville had enough punishment.

" _Tarentief._ "

And then it was gone. Neville was relieved.

Hermione had come to Allen during breakfast one morning to show her the letter Hagrid had sent her saying that him and Buckbeak lost. So they were there in their next Care of Magical Creatures class with the Golden Trio trying to cheer him up. Hagrid was so upset.

 _A pile of ash in a jar... Timcanpy..._

"Look at him blubber!"

Allen had been immensely quiet during the class and remained that way back to the castle.

"Have you seen anything quite as pathetic? And he's suppose to be our-"

 _Smack._

Allen barely registered his fist flying towards Draco's face. The blond went flying to the floor as both Gregory and Vincent lunged at Allen. He ducked under Gregory's outstretched arms and swept Vincent's legs out from under him. The large boy crashed to the ground shortly before the teenager's foot met his face. Sensing an oncoming attack, Allen whipped around just in time to catch Gregory's fist. Imagine his look of surprise before Allen pulled him close and elbowed him right in the nose. He was hit hard enough to fall to the ground.

Draco had gotten to his feet in the midst of all this and Allen descended upon him before he could even think to run, pinning the boy to the wall with his arm.

"Have you ever lost someone close to you," Allen snarled. He was so tired of all of his childish actions. "A family, a pet, a _friend?_ "

Terrified, Draco shook his head.

"Then you don't understand what it feels like when someone takes something important _away_ from you. To know that their death was resulted by someone _else's_ actions. That Hippogriff you sent to death _meant_ something to someone. What if someone decided to murder your mother or father randomly one day? How would you feel to know that you would never sit at their table? To never hear their voice when you walk through your manor? To know that their life was cut short by someone _you_ can't touch?"

Draco gulped.

" _That's_ the pain that Hagrid is facing, Draco. Pain a little boy like you does not understand. And people who create that pain, just like you have, end up being no better than _Voldemort._ "

The blond flinched and Allen backed up, satisfied with what he had said. Then he stalked into the great entrance with the Golden Trio following close behind.

"Don't you have Potions next?"

"Buckbeak's appeal is more important," he responded. "You should head onto your next class."

"I mean, you punched _Malfoy._ " Ron seemed impressed. "Are you okay?"

No. He could barely think through his splintering skull, every move he made hurt his body, and his shoulder hurts tremendously enough that he's surprised he could still move it. All of what he was feeling, he was thinking, were transferred into three calm words. "I'm quite alright."

They looked dubious, Hermione even more so, before they departed.

The Quidditch game between Slytherin and Gryffindor was rising and the Slytherin were upset with Allen's refusal to practice.

"I'm not good at taking orders from corruption," he told them flatly.

"You're the best Beater we got," Bole explained.

"I'm sure you'll manage somehow. I don't want to be in Draco's company."

He was glad that he hadn't participated in the game. He could hear Lee Jordan's commentry from the Whomping Willow and it sounded like it was a very dirty match. Mostly from his team. Allen shook his head and sat down. A good decision on his part because he was having another wave of pain.

"I'm fine," he murmured after a while as he laid on his back and stared up at the bright sky. Dog laid next to him in what seemed to be comfort and Timcanpy's wing brushed his cheek. "I just have to tough it out. It'll pass. It has to."

After Slytherin's loss, exam season came rolling by. Allen had to be sure that he closely monitored how he felt so as to not worry his friends. He almost slipped up twice. One happened in the library when he was helping Neville study. Thankfully he was alone in the section he was looking in. And next he was walking down the empty hallway with Luna and had to lean against the wall for support. She didn't ask any questions like Hermione did but her presence was far more soothing.

"You're eyes are a pretty gold," she had said.

On the last day of the exams, Allen got to finish up with Defense Against the Dark Arts. He did really well, up until he got into the trunk with a Boggart. He found it to be a really great thing that this was Lupin's last class because that one had been obliterated as well.

"Sorry Professor," he stated as he sheepishly rubbed his upper lip. "It seems that I had overreacted again."

"It's fine," Lupin responded in amusement. And then Allen once-more found every pain of his amplified. His hand subconsciously fell to his shoulder as his knees buckled. "Allen!"

Lupin had caught him. The Slytherin kept his head down so that his hair could hide his face. He knew that his skin must have turned gray and wanted to keep Lupin's knowledge out of it. It would be easier if he could see clearly. He grit his teeth and pushed off of Lupin.

"I used... more magic than I intended..." he lied. "I'll... go to Madam... Pomfrey's."

"I'll go with you."

 _'Don't let him.'_

"I can make it."

And with great effort, Allen began walking in the direction of the castle. He could feel Lupin's eyes on him as he moved. He must have been halfway there before his skull felt like it had been cleaved with an axe. This time, he actually did fall to his knees. His eyes widened when something warm dripped down his face and red droplets fell onto the grass.

 _Blood._

"Allen," he heard Lupin call worriedly. Allen could hear him running towards him from where he stayed.

 _'No, it's too dangerous for him.'_ The pain on his left shoulder made it hard to breath. _'Go to the Forbidden Forest. Run.'_

He wasn't exactly sure how he got to his feet. The next thing he knew, Allen was tearing across the grounds to the forest. He could hear Lupin calling for him but ignored it. He wasn't sure how Lupin was in danger when _he_ was the one in agony but didn't question it. The voice sounded certain and there was always time to get the answer.

Allen tripped over some tree roots and his robe got snagged on branches but he didn't dare stop. Not until he couldn't go any farther and yet another wave of pain sent him colliding with the dirt. Panting heavily, he turned over on his back and stared up at the leaves.

When the pain flared up again, he admitted... he was screaming.

The pain in his shoulder surpassed the one in his head. It seared so much that he was actually wishing that someone could come by and cut it off.

 _'You don't remember,'_ the voice whispered. _'Not everything. It will hurt less if you remembered.'_

But he didn't want to remember and he sure as hell didn't want to hurt. Just get rid of his arm. There had to be a spell that could slice it off. He didn't care how cleanly or even if it would kill him. He already felt as though he were dying.

Digging deeply into the pocket of his robes, Allen found his wand and gripped it tightly in his hand. Then he fought to sit up so that he gound look at his shoulder as properly as possible. Focusing on the spell he used on the troll a couple years back, he aimed his wand at his shoulder.

Then a small voice made him pause. His pain-hazed brain seemed to freeze all track of thought with just one word.

"Allen!"

* * *

 _ **Okay, so I had my own ideas about Allen's Noah transformation and**_ **might've _gotten carried away. To be honest, it feels like the closer I got to writing it, the more the details disappeared. I did get the main points down, the Boggart and the Dementors both being instruments of Allen's Awakening. It's one of the two reasons why I was so hyped about it. I'll definitely come back to this one and read it over with a fresh mind. And the second reason... :D Next chapter._**

 ** _Funfact: Allen's body is technically two years older than the students of his year. But since his actual age and birthday is ambiguous, no one can tell the difference between it. I'll also give you a treat on the next chapter on how old the Allen actually is in_ this _story._**

 ** _~MillenniaPhoenix - Trust me, you'll see Black Allen more later on. My plot must continue! Once I finish (if I get to that point first), I might go back and rewrite some chapters if I find faults in them (most often, it's my pacing I gotta work on). I do have to go back anyways and fix spelling errors... Also, you said "don't you dare". I had to_**

 ** _~Allenfan - Yay! Thanks! And the one thing I've really had a problem on stories like this is with how other people write the MC and how they are once regaining their memories. I doubt that I'm much better, since I don't know jack about memory loss or regaining that memory. But the way I've read other people do it, it's like they go back to who they were before without any influence of what had to happen to them presently to help them remember. And that virtually helped me figure out how to write about half of this book. The other half will be a little more difficult but I do have an idea for the endgame and am working towards that. Yes, there is more to this._**


	8. Chapter VIII (vers 1)

_"You have to hold this mandrake leaf in your mouth for an entire month," the Professor informed as he, Sirius, Remus, Peter, and James stood in the empty classroom. "From full moon to full moon, do you understand? If you take out the leaf or swallow it, in for a split second, you have to start all over again. If the full moon is cloudy and hidden, you_ will _have to start it again."_

 _"Are you an Animagus," Peter asked._

 _"Me? No, I have no need."_

 _"Why are_ _you helping us, Professor," James questioned skeptically._

 _"Because I'd rather not have you break rules behind my back and end up doing something terrible. Now listen closely; you must follow these instructions as they are. There are no shortcuts and trying to find any will result in you being half wizard and half animal. And its not pretty. After the month is up, you must spit the leaf into a phial within range of the moon's pure rays. Then you have to add a single of your hair, a teaspoon of dew that has not seen sunlight nor had been trodded on for seven days-"_

 _"How do we accomplish that," asked Remus._

 _"You all wander around at night, don't you? You're very lucky that London is a wet place. Next, you will need the chrysalis of a Death's-head Hawk Moth. The mixture has to be put in a quiet, dark place and can't be disturbed by anything. Anything."_

 _"We get it," grumbled Sirius._

 _"We'll see. I'll be writing instructions during the phase of you keeping the mandrake in your mouth. Hopefully that'll get you four to stay quiet during my lessons."_

 _"We know you enjoy it," shot James._

 _"Right... Now while the mixture is sitting, at sunrise and sunset without fail, you must place the tip of your wand to your heart and say 'Amato Animo Animato Animagus'. Say it with me."_

 _They repeated the chant._

 _"Excellent. You are to keep doing this until there's a lightning storm. When there is, you immediately move to a large and secure location, just in case any of you have a large animal form, then you must say the incantation one last time, and drink the mixture. If you've done it correctly, then you should be able to turn into an animal without any problems."_

 _"And if it's done bad," Peter asked nervously._

 _"Then you'll be stuck in between two forms. Depending on the severity depends on if it can be reversed."_

 _Peter blanched._

* * *

A small, warm body threw itself onto him. He huffed as he tried to breath, both from his pain and the tight hug.

"I never thought I'd see you again," they whispered.

Then the person moved away to look at him.

She was blurry at first and her features dark. Then his eyesight snapped into focus and he saw a girl with spiky black hair, gold eyes, and gray skin. A set of markings aligned her forehead. She frowned and tilted her head. "Allen?"

And it was like all the walls in his mind had fallen. It wasn't as though everything came rushing back. It was just _there._ The Holy War, the battle between Grindelwald, the death of Harry's parents. _All_ of it was there.

"R-Road?"

He knew what was going on. What was happening to him. It was the Noahfication process. It must have been triggered by the Dementors.

 _No,_ he realized when he thought back to the summer. His senses had heightened starting from there. This had started before those monstrosities.

He found himself hugging Road back.

"I thought you were dead..." Pure unadulterated happiness was on her face. "I thought we lost you." She pulled away and looked at him. "You went to go help those Potters. What happened?"

Allen reached back into his mind for the memory.

"Tom showed up at the house," he began slowly. "I tried to change his mind but it didn't do any good. And when I refused to get out of his way, he casted the Killing Curse on me." He put on an empty smile. "I thought that it affected the body. If I had known that it affected the soul, I would have used Crown Clown to block it."

"What does that mean?" Road tilted her head before worry flit across her face. "Neah...?"

He looked away and swallowed hard. "Just before the Killing Curse hit me, Neah switched places. I didn't want him to... I _fought._ But he took my place and died in my stead."

He could feel it... The painful sensation of Neah's soul tearing from his. Feel it being seared away from his body.

"I think the loss of a soul was too much for my body. The magic... reversed my age. That's why I'm going through this _process_ again."

Road looked somber. Her eyes were clouded with thought before she shook her head and sighed. Then she sat on the ground and patted her lap. "Here, you can rest until it's over. Unlike the humans, I'm in no danger of you killing me."

Allen smile became a little more lively until he obeyed the older Noah by laying on his back and resting his head on her thighs. Timcanpy went and fluttered onto his chest. He stared up at the leaves, this time in utter peace, as Road played with his snowy locks.

* * *

Harry hadn't seen Allen until dinner, where he sat quietly across from them. They told him that Hagrid lost the appeal.

"I'm sure that he's devastated..." Allen stared down at the table with a faintly somber look. "And you plan on visiting him regardless?"

"Yes."

"Then I'm coming too."

Harry eyed Allen curiously. He's been absent all day and now there's something... off about him. Off? No, it's more like _different._

And Allen refused to get under the cloak.

"It won't hide more than three," he stated. "It'll be less inconspicuous if I walked around as opposed to having all of our feet showing."

Harry had to agree that he had a point. So they all made their way over the grounds after Allen. He glanced back on occassion with a frown. It felt like someone was watching him...

"Allen," Hagrid whispered when the Slytherin knocked and he answered the door, looking relieved that it was him instead of the executioner.

"Hello, Rubeus." The giant of a man inhaled sharply and his expression seemed to brighten a little. "I'm here with Harry, Ron, and Hermione."

"Yeh shouldn've come."

They were granted access anyways and they hurried inside the hut.

Hagrid was a mess. Harry wanted to stay with him but the large man told him that they shouldn't see and that both Dumbledore and Fudge wouldn't be happy if Harry was there.

"I can stay," Allen went. If it had to deal with any other reason, Hagrid might have smiled.

"Yeh're a studen', Allen. Yeh can' be breakin' teh rules."

"Rules are meant to be broken if it's reasonable enough. You know that as well as I."

Whatever Hagrid was going to say had been cut off by Hermione's shrill voice.

"Ron, I don't believe it- it's Scabbers!"

Harry watched as Allen's eyes snapped over to the writhing rat that came from Hagrid's teapot.

"They're comin'," went Hagrid in horror.

They were ushered out of the hut with Hagrid telling Allen to watch over them. Ron was having a hard time with Scabbers on their way back to the castle.

"Let me have him," ordered Allen. Of which Ron happily handed him over. This time Allen had no choice but to get under the cloak. Feet would be harder to see in this distance instead of a lone figure. Harry had to incline his head to catch what Allen was saying.

 _"That boy is the only reason you're alive. So stay still."_

And then he past the quivering but silent rat back to Ron.

"What'd you do to him," Ron asked with a wide gaze.

"Nothing. Now lets go before Buckbeak is-"

"It's too late," Hermione breathed. And just then, there was the unmistakable sound of an axe falling. And then Hagrid's howls filled the air.

Allen walked with the group with a grim expression. Rubeus was a kind soul who cared for all sorts of creatures far more deeply than any wizard, witch, or Muggle could have. He's been wrongfully expelled when he protected Argog, lost his wizard of a father far too early, and just watched one of his pets die. The half-giant deserved more than what he had gotten.

"Ouch!" Ron exclaimed when they were nearing the castle. "He bit me!"

Scabbers went running away.

Ron was not the only one who took after him when Crookshanks, Hermione's cat, went chasing the rat. Allen went racing after it too with determination on his face. He hadn't known that he had spent the last three years beside Harry's killer and it aggravated him to know that he had. Unfortunately for him, Ron got the rat first, meaning that he would have to find another way to question it. Harry and Hermione caught up trying to get them under the cloak.

And then Allen heard paws coming their way.

A flash of black and Dog was bowling Harry over. The ravenette had barely gotten up when Dog bit deeply into Ron's arn and began pulling him into the hollow of the tree. Harry, who was holding tightly onto it, got smacked by the Whomping Willow and let go. Allen dodged the branches with ease and made it to Ron just when his leg broke and he went into the tunnel.

"Easy with him, Sirius," he snapped as he ignored Harry and Hermione's cries and followed them. He followed the dog into a dusty room, the dog shifted back into a gaunt man and he dragged Ron up the stairs.

"Y-you're in league with him," Ron asked when Allen looked over his leg.

"In league with Sirius?" He shook his head. "No, only with my family. Sirius though... he doesn't deserve what he had gotten."

"He's a murderer," spat Ron. "What do you mean that he doesn't deserve it!?"

"Let me snap your leg back into place, Ronald. It will make it easier to hea-"

" _Don't touch me!_ "

Allen sighed and glanced over at the quiet man by the doorway. He was eyeing the Slytherin with uncertainty. "You _are_ going to tell them, aren't you? Harry might settle on revenge."

"Tell us what..." went Ron.

"...You're different," Sirius croaked. "The entire year, you didn't seem to recognize me."

"Tell us what?"

Allen shot Sirius a soft smile with am emotion that was difficult to interpret. "Yes, there was an incident I had with Voldemort. Our confrontation ended up with my memories being suppressed. An incident helped me remember... I apologize for worrying you with my lapses of pain."

"You're skin and your eyes... They became different..."

"It's a family gene."

"Tell us WHAT!?" Ron bellowed.

Allen tilted his head as he regarded Ron for a moment. "In just a second, Ronald. Harry and Hermione are on their way up."

And indeed they were. He could hear them enter the Shrieking Shack. They looked surprised to see Allen resting calmly on the wall between Sirius and Ron. The male was quick to disarm the two Gryffindors of their wands.

"Harry, you had said that Re- Lupin took the map didn't you," he inquired.

"...Yeah." His emerald gaze flit from Allen to Sirius.

"Then he should be here momentarily. Until then..." He looked over at Sirius. "Tell them."

"Not until I've killed him," went Sirius. "I've waited too long."

Harry lunged at Sirius. When he began punching the man, Allen joing the fray to separate them. Hermione's fist made it to his cheek. There was a flash of white as Allen activated his Innocence and all three of them were rendered immobile with Clown Belt. Hermione looked disconcerted by the ribbons that held her still. Ron and Harry, although surprised, were familiar with his cowl.

"You. Will. Tell. Him." Allen said slowly. Deliberately. And with a dangerous edge that made everyone in the room shiver.

"You... you killed my parents," Harry went.

"I don't deny it..." Sirius was quiet. "If you knew the whole story."

There were muffled steps. Seeing her chance, Hermione shouted. And then Remus came hurrying to the room where he took in the sights. Allen reluctantly deactivated his Innocence before Remus went and embraced Sirius. As if sensing his master's discomfort, Tim allowed Allen to pluck him from the air.

"I trusted you!" Hermione screamed at the professor. "And all this time you've been his friend!"

"Hermione, that's not-"

"And _you,_ Allen! I kept your condition quiet from them like you asked! Even when you collapsed in the library, I still didn't breath a word! I _trusted_ you."

Allen stretched Timcanpy with a patient expression, although annoyance did coat his words. "You're mistaken Hermione."

"Why are you siding with a murderer and a werewolf!?"

His expression closed off so quickly that Hermione became taken aback. They all had been.

"I will not stand by such a derogatory remark, Miss Granger," he stated icily. "You make it seem as though a person chooses to become a werewolf. That they willingly undergo painful transformations ever month. To never work places of your skill level so that no one finds out and becomes prejudice. Wizards always considered other species to be below them and it disgusts me to find out that you're of no difference."

"You remember," Harry finally choked in understanding. "You're past."

"Yes, which is why you _must_ hear the truth straight from the horse's mouth, Harry. Because everyone else had been decieved."

"...Alright," he finally said. "I'll listen."

"Harry!" Hermione shrieked.

"Allen's been our friend. If he thinks I should listen, then I will."

Remus thanked Allen and told them about how he had come to Hogwarts and made friends. How even though he was a werewolf, he made friends that wanted to stay with him. Of how they became Animagi with the help of one of their Professors. Needless to say that Hermione was mortified at the thought.

"He was a bit unorthodox," Remus admitted.

Severus made himself known, not that his role had much to play a part of. He tied up Remus but then was knocked unconscious when Ron, Harry, and Hermione used the Disarming charm at the same time. Hermione was appalled by what she had done.

"He's fine," Allen had commented after quickly checking over him. "He'll just be out for a few hours. That's probably for the best... Ron, please let them see the rat. If it truly isn't a man, then Scabbers would be given back to you unharmed."

Ron did so with obvious reluctance. The rat squirmed worse than ever. Remus and Sirius both aimed their wand at him and that rat became a balding, fat man. Peter Pettigrew.

He tried desperately to plead his case but every thought and reason that they could think up was immediately explained by Sirius. Allen watched Harry eyeing Peter the entire time he answered.

"Believe me," Sirius croaked. "Believe me, Harry. I never betrayed James and Lily. I would have died before I betrayed them."

Harry nodded and all of Peter's fears were confirmed. The large man turned to Sirius, the man that loathed him most, and was kicked away. Then to Remus, who declined him. Ron who was disgusted, Hermione who had pulled away, and Harry, of which Peter was pulled away from.

"A-Allen." The man's beady, rodent-like eyes had befallen on him. His last hope. "You don't believe them, do you? You know that it was Sirius who was their Secret-Keeper."

"I was informed of the change and went to observe the charm casting that night." Allen narrowed his eyes. "You were the Secret-Keeper, Peter. Admit that you were the one who gave them to Voldemort."

Despair had fallen onto the man's face. He began bawling where he stood.

"What could I have done? The Dark Lord...you have no idea...he has weapons you can't imagine ...I was scared, I never meant it to happen...He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named forced me-"

"You had been spying for an entire year, Peter." Allen's voice was quiet. Cold. "And if Neah were here, I'm sure that he would have a very special surprise for you."

The man paled drastically.

"You should have realized that if Voldemort wasn't here to kill you, we would," went Remus.

"Peter Pettigrew is _not_ going to die tonight, Remus."

All heads snapped over to him in shock. "But Allen-"

"Killing Peter won't solve the problem of Sirius' innocence. I say that we turn him into the Ministry of Magic. The Veritaserum would be enough for even those incompetent wizards to subject Peter to Azkaban."

"THAT'S NOT GOOD ENOUGH!" Sirius bellowed.

"No, I'm absolutely sure spending the rest of his years in the frigid cold with Dementors guarding his cell day in and day out, leeching everything good about his life and making him miserable and slowly lose sense of reality is _not_ as good as giving him a quick and clean death in retaliation for Lily and James' death."

They were all bewildered with how casual Allen made this statement.

"Besides, you're Harry's _godfather,_ Sirius. He has lost enough family as is. Do _not_ deprive him of his rightful guardian."

Sirius' face lit up with comprehension. He let out a big sigh before lowering his wand. "You're right."

Remus tied up and gagged the sniveling wizard. Sirius conjured some shackels and, at at the behest of Ron and Remus, were both chained to him. As they went back into the tunnel, Allen released Timcanpy and followed with a frown. There was as something... he was forgetting something.

"I'll understand, of course, if you want to stay with your aunt and uncle," Sirius could be heard telling Harry. "But well... think about it. Once my name's cleared... if you wanted a- a different home..."

"What, live with you?" Harry could be heard asking. "Leave the Dursleys?"

"Of course, I thought you wouldn't want to," Sirius said rather quickly. Allen snorted. He didn't doubt that Harry would rather live with a convicted murderer as opposed to those horrible humans.

"Of course I want to leave the Dursleys! Have you got a house? When can I move in?"

They definitely left the tunnel in a brighter light. When Allen glanced up at the clouds some ways on towards the castle, his mind clicked. Now he knew what he was forgetting.

"Remus, did you drink your potion?"

Everyone froze, Remus included. All heads faced the man, whose complexion had paled immensely. And then the moon came parting the clouds.

"Move," Allen ordered, pushing through Sirius and Harry to see Remus' body changing.

The werewolf broke out of the shackle and was about to leap at Ron before his teeth sunk into the flesh of Allen's arm. The werewolf's eyes met his and the beast paused for a split second when it saw his eyes flash gold and he allowed some of his Noah aura to seep out. Gaining the advantage Allen needed. He raised the werewolf up with all the strength he could muster and slammed him back into the ground. It yelped and Allen's blood went dripping into the grass.

"Allen!"

Road came sprinting from the trees with worry on her face. The werewolf snarled as it got up before tearing towards the Forbidden Forest where she was coming from. Allen felt his eyes widened and went sprinting after it. "Road! Don't kill him!"

The werewolf yelped in pain before tripping and sprawling into the ground.

"Sirius! He's gone! Pettigrew escaped!"

He heard Sirius curse before the familiar thuds of paw took off running. Allen knelt beside the werewolf to check whatever damage might have been done. He breathed a sigh of relied when there was a sharp candle deep in the wound of the werewolf's thigh. It'd make it difficult to run, but he wouldn't die. Road grabbed Allen's right arm and pulled back the sleeve to look at the damage.

"Why didn't you use your left one," she scolded, poking it harshly. Allen chuckled sheepishly as he pulled it away as Harry and Hermione caught up.

"It was closer?"

"You're lucky that you're immune to lycanthropy. You are you're own downfall, Allen Walker."

"You're immune," Hermione asked. "But- how? That doesn't exist!"

"Not to mortals like you," Road stated coldly. Her blue gaze flicked to Harry. "So you're James' son. Cute, you have your mother's eyes."

"You knew my paren-"

"Where's Sirius," Allen cut off. They didn't have time for this. He nearly sighed when the two Gryffindors became startled.

"He went after Pettigrew," Harry went quickly.

"Go after him."

"What?"

"There's Dementors roaming the grounds, Harry. And you have the closest means to fending them off right now." Allen nodded towards the trees. "He went that way. I'll catch up to you when I have Remus under control."

"But he's a werew-" began Hermione. Harry grabbed her arm.

"Come on."

Road pulled the candle out of the werewolf's thigh. He snapped at her angrilly and Allen used that as a means to slam his head into the ground once more. This time hard enough to render it unconscious.

"I'm taking him back to the Whomping Willow," Allen had said, picking the body up and slinging it over his shoulder.

"I'll come with you," she said determinedly. He regarded her a moment. Even if he said no, she was going to follow anyways. He sighed and agreed.

"Alright."

* * *

Hermione and Sirius had fallen unconscious and Harry was fighting so hard to stay awake. The Dementor's hands, strong and clammy, were clasped firmly around his neck. It's gaping maw was moving closer...

And then it dropped him.

Harry opened his eyes to see what was going on. The Dementors were lingering as something bright lingered around. They seemed reluctant to leave. And then a familiar figure walked out from the cover of the trees on the other side of the lake. Harry's vision was blurry but he was sure that it had to be Allen by the head of white hair. And off to his side...

Harry succumbed to darkness.

When he woke up, it was to a voice yelling.

"SIRIUS BLACK DID _NOT_ DESERVE THE DEMENTORS' KISS!"

"It's too late, Mr. Walker. If you have arrived sooner-"

"IF _I_ HAD ARRIVED _SOONER!?_ PERHAPS IF YOU _WAITED_ FOR ONE BLOODY MOMENT OF YOU'RE LIFE, CORNELIUS!"

It had taken Harry a moment to understand that the voice had come from Allen. Never before had Harry seen (or in this case, heard) him raise his voice to such a thunderous level. He was normally composed, no matter how angry he got. Then there was a long inhale followed by an exhale. And the next time Allen spoke, he still sounded angry but more controlled.

"Do you have _any_ idea of _what_ you have put that innocent man's soul through!? Dementors chew it up into something unrecognizable and then keep chewing. That soul will no longer _be_ a soul and he's facing a damnation worse than anything I've seen. And Cornelius, I've seen a lot."

"Allen-" went Snape.

"Don't say another word. I'm particularly furious with you, Severus. I don't choose sides, you know that better than anyone. And yet you completely disregard my words, my _belief,_ and condemned a man for biased reasons.

Snape didn't respond back.

Madam Pomfrey fed Harry chocolate when she saw that he was awake.

"Now if you excuse me, I have to inform my _friend_ that his godfather's soul was removed by the impatient and incompetent Ministry of Magic."

And then Allen entered the room with a grim look that settled how Harry felt. Sirius was gone...? After all that?

Dumbledore came in and, with great effort, managed to get Snape, Fudge, and Pomfrey out of the Hospital Wing. Harry felt dull inside.

"Allen," Dumbledore had said, sounding grave. "Did they let Sirius off when they saw Timcanpy's recording?"

"They _wished_ they had," he responded dryly. "He was already given the Kiss."

"And do you think..." he began slowly. "That you could send Tim quicker this time around?"

Allen raised an eyebrow before his gaze landed on Hermione. Then understanding flit across his features. "Of course, Albus."

Dumbledore looking meaningfuly at Hermione. "Good. Because we do need more time."

" _Oh,_ " she had breathed.

"If all goes well, you will be able to save more than one innocent life tonight. But remember this: you must not be seen. Allen, Miss Granger, you know the law- you know what is at stake... You. Must. Not. Be. Seen." He glanced at his watch. "Five minutes to midnight. Miss Granger, three turns should do it. Good luck."

Harry watched Allen fish Timcanpy out of the air to stuff him in his pocket. Then both him and Allen were ushered over to Hermione, who threw a gold chain around the two of them.

The ward faded away into blurs of color and when Harry found his feet, they were in the grand entrance.

"In here," Hermione hissed, pulling Harry and Allen into a broom closet.

"What's going on?"

"We went back in time," Allen muttered. He tilted his head. "Three hours." Harry opened his mouth to speak. " _Quiet._ Our past selfs are coming and I happen to have _really_ good hearing."

Harry didn't hear anything until a few seconds later, where footsteps were sounded on the floor. They were dealthy quiet until Allen made a move signalling that they could speak again.

"You're hearing is _that_ good," Hermione asked.

"My... condition had stopped being a problem. So yes, if I don't do anything like I had previously to go through it again, it should stay like this."

"What'd you do in the first place?"

"I had nearly died." Harry and Hermione glanced at each other in worry before he pushed the closet open. "Come on, no one is arriving. We should be able to get to Buckbeak."

"Why him?" Harry questioned.

"Albus wanted us to save more than one life." They made it outside and hurried across the grounds while making sure that the past Allen didn't notice. "And he told us to use the Time-Turner to go back three hours. Where were we then?"

"...Hagrid's." Hermione's eyes widened. "But how are we going to get Buckbeak away? We have nowhere to put him."

"I have a place." They made their way around the greenhouse. "It's not ideal but I can open it wherever I am and it can't be tracked. He can't stay there long though so I might give him to Sirius when he's settled into his house."

They lingered at the edge of the forest as they watched Hagrid's hut. Allen had said that they could speak in hushed tones because past Allen wouldn't notice. None of them knew that they had a new visitor until a pale girl wrapped her arms around Allen from behind and rested her chin on his shoulder. Then, very quietly, she said, "What are you doing?"

Harry jumped and Hermione clapped her hand over her mouth to keep from yelping. Allen however didn't so much as move. This girl was the same one that they had seen running from the forest, Harry realized. Her black hair was cut short and spiky, framing her face and highlighting her cobalt eyes. She was wearing a short Victorian-styled dress with striped stockings. So she wasn't a Hogwarts student.

"We came from our present time and now we're watching our past selves so we can save two souls tonight," Allen commented as he glanced back to look at Road. Hermione gaped at him. Before she could open her mouth, the girl was speaking.

"Ugh, that sounds boring. Can I go deeper into the forest and see Argog, Allen? He's funny when he's serious."

"He's always serious."

"Exactly!"

Now Harry was gaping. Allen had just said that they came from the future and this girl called it _boring._

"Hm~ Since you're a student, would it be alright if I come in as a student too?"

"Road..." Allen sighed. "Do you still have your wand?"

"Yep!" There was a pause. "Somewhere."

"...You know how difficult it is for us to get a wand. You can't come to Hogwarts without one."

"I'll find it. It's not like I need that silly stick anyways." She rolled her eyes.

"It helps to be underestimated."

She hummed in response and they had to quiet down again when the back door of Hagrid's hut opened. Then she went very quietly, "You mentioned to them that you can sense when you're being watched, right?"

Hermione gave Allen a sharp look. Harry was wondering how many more surprises the Slytherin had when he shook his head. "I won't look back though. Not this time. I was too focused on Peter."

Sure enough, Harry could see past Allen's eyes dead focused on Scabbers as he squirmed in Ron's hands. Then they took off when the others made it to the door. Allen was right about the Invisibility Cloak not being made not being made to fit all for of them. Their feet could be see.

When Macnair's face showed in the window to catch a glimpse of Buckbeak, Allen and Harry seemed to decide that now was better than nothing. With the ravenette declaring that he would get him, he found himself untethering Buckbeak and forcing him back to the Forbidden Forest. It was difficult - the Hippogriff didn't want to leave Hagrid, but with the combined efforts of Allen, Hermione, and even the girl, Buckbeak ended up hidden just as well as them.

Macnair was upset by it but Hagrid was sobbing in happiness at the turn of events.

Then they made their way to the Whomping Willow. Harry was quiet as the girl played with Allen's hair. He didn't seem to mind the fact that she was braiding it...

"Road," Allen said quietly right after Hermione dissuaded Harry from getting the Invisibility Cloak. "I need to to make sure that the past me stays away from whatever happens next."

"Oh?" She asked.

"I take the werewolf back into the Whomping Willow. It takes a while to get there. Make sure that you slow me down."

"A werewolf," she hummed. "Can I bring it home? Watching Jasdevi run from one would be hilarious."

"They'd kill him," Allen argued. "I'd rather not see him dead. Not when I have a job for him."

"Noah's Ark?" Disbelief colored her voice. "You're going to let a _werewolf_ join it?"

"It depends how well it's been running for the past thirteen years."

"It's been running _fine_ without our patriarch." She frowned. "Mightra, Tryde, and Mercym have yet to..." She eyed Harry and Hernione. "Reappear. Feedler has awakened though."

"Good."

Hermione hesitated. "Allen, what's... different about you? What did Harry mean when he asked if you remembered? Who's this girl?"

"Ah, right. Hermione Granger, Harry Potter, meet Road Kamelot," he explained. Road meet Harry and Hermione. She is-"

"I'm his girlfriend," Road interrupted.

Harry thought that his eyes were going to pop out of his own skull. He couldn't imagine Allen with... well, _anyone._

"She's _not_ my girlfriend." Allen scowled. "But she is family." Then their attention had to be reaffirmed onto something else. "Road, when we're halfway to the castle, I need you to slow the werewolf down. No killing."

"Fine, but it's not fun."

"It wasn't meant to be."

"There's something I don't understand..." Hermione had wrapped her legs around her knees as she looked at Harry thoughtfully. "Why didn't the Dementors get Sirius. I was right there and I-I think I collapsed."

Harry told her about the Patronus, how he could have sworn that he had seen his father there, and Allen.

"Me?" He looked baffled. "But I wasn't anywhere near the lake that night. I had taken Remus back into the Shrieking Shack and Road was being difficult- now I know why -so I couldn't have been."

Road stuck her tongue out at the Slytherin childishly.

Their past selves could be seen leaving the Willow. Harry saw the thoughtful look on his face, the fear on Wormtail's, and the disturbed one on Allen's. Then halfway up the castle, the clouds parted and Lupin began to turn.

"Not yet," Allen murmured.

It wasn't until Remus bit the past Allen's arm that the present one patted Road's and she went sprinting out into the open.

Harry couldn't help but wince at the force of which Allen used to slam Lupin's head into the ground.

"We should get Buckbeak to a safe place," Allen stated. "Rubeus headed back up to the castle and I doubt that he'll be headed back in his hut any time soon."

Harry and Hermione agreed. They retreated back to the hut where Buckbeak happily settled down in. Then Harry stated that he wanted to go watch.

"Tim, I need you to go show Peter's confession to Cornelius," Allen could be heard saying. "Sirius' freedom depends on it."

The golem shot into the air and away in the nights' sky.

"Allen, I'll stay with Buckbeak," Hermione had said. "Go with Harry and make sure that he isn't seen."

"I'll make sure," he agreed. Harry was a little aggravated at the thought though - he didn't need a babysitter.

"I want to see what you saw," Allen said instead and it made the ravenette feel a little better. So they were crouched behind a bush watching a Dementor lower itself to past Harry's face.

"You do know that this clarifies as a life-or-death situation," Allen had suddenly stated. "I wonder why you didn't use your penny."

He didn't know either but that wasn't what he was focusing on. He finally realized: the Patronus he had seen hadn't come from his dad. Everyone says that he has his face but his mother's eyes. So he stepped out and yelled "Expecto Patronum!"

A large Patronus shot from his wand and charged at the Dementors. Hope filled Harry's heart when he watched it circle his past self, Hermione, and Sirius. But the Dementors weren't leaving.

"I see," Allen suddenly stated as he adjusted the sleeves of his robes. Harry saw his past self black out. "This is where I came in... I can't create a Patronus, Harry but..." He hesitated. "I can use Dark magic to create something else. And it's not a spell that invokes good feelings."

"Just do it," Harry urged.

Allen nodded and walked out into the lake. Harry couldn't see his face anymore but he could sense something... dark emanating from him. Something that made Harry stay rooted where he was with his instincts beginning to warn him to flee. Allen raised his wand, his right arm being visible from the rips in the sleeve. And Harry stared when he noticed that his skin was gray.

" _Despero aeris._ "

A purple haze seemed to emit from Allen's wand and rose up into the air like a fog. It wasn't cold like the Demebtors and made Harry feel sick to his stomach. It was suffocating him. Images that weren't his flit through his mind.

 _The loss of his father, the only person who carred for him for two years. The abandonment of his home, where he ended up tortured. The lapses of his sanity as he was fighting an enemy from the inside. The deaths of his friends when they lived a few weeks after the war. The loss of his uncle, stripped painfully from his body under green light. The light of Innocence. Of holiness._

Harry's Patronus came and circled around him, banishing those thoughts from his mind. He could breath a little easier and watched as even the Dementors fled from that sickly, purple mist.

"Dementors leech off of human despair..." with a flick of his wand, the mist cleared away. "Evil as they are, even they can get disgusted by my hardships if I send it to them sealed with Dark Matt- magic."

So those were Allen's thoughts. His memories. Harry felt sick even more than before.

"I thought we were told that we mustn't be seen." Hermione whispered as she snuck up with Buckbeak.

Harry told her what had happened, leaving the memories he had seen out of his explanation.

"A Patronus? That's very, very advanced magic. And Allen, I don't recognize the spell you used."

"You wouldn't," he stated. "I fashioned it myself."

"Look, there's Snape," Harry hissed, making them all duck back into the bushes. Allen got to watch the three get magicked onto the stretchers with Ron. When Snape left, Harry heard a familiar voice.

"Oh, Allen~" And then Road was attached to his arm with a playful grin. "I kept you away for as long as I could. Then the werewolf woke up so I created a door that would let me get here whole you dealt with him.

"Excellent. Listen, Road, I need you to take this Hippogriff to the Ark."

"What?" Harry raised an eyebrow at her confusion. He was confused too. What was an Ark? "It'll _die_ if I do."

"Keep everyone else out of it then." Allen smiled at Road with a softness Harry doesn't think he's seen before. "I'm sorry that our reunion has to be held off for a moment. I promise that I'll get all of us together for dinner tomorrow. Just _please_ take Buckbeak."

Road scowled as she took the tether from Hermione eithout even asking for it. She glared dangerously at the Slytherin. "You're lucky that I like you, Allen Walker."

Then she walked through a door that materialized in the woods...

"She'll forgive me when I show up tomorrow," Allen said with a sigh as he watched the doors fade away. Hermione looked as though she wanted to ask a barrage of questions.

"We have to get back to the castle, Hermione."

"Okay but you _are_ going to answer whatever I ask."

"That depends on a multitude of things." Harry listened as they made their way to the castle. "If it has to deal with more than myself, if I feel like answering, _and_ if you want information I simply can't indulge in."

He was beginning to wonder if Allen remembering everything about himself was more helpful or frustrating because whether he liked it or not, he felt that there was some sort of invisible wall between them now.

They made it into the castle where Fudge could be heard talking. It sounded as though he were trying to calm a furious Snape. Harry, Hermione, and Allen hid behind a statue as they passed, Harry relishing in Snape's sour look. That must mean that Tim had gotten to them quickly enough.

"Honestly, to think that he was innocent. Pettigrew is out running around after killing the Potters!"

After skirting around Peeves, they found themselves coming across Dumbledore, who paused a few seconds before letting them back into the hospital wing. Harry sat on his bed with Allen dropping into one with a relieved sigh. Madam Pomfrey was irritable so they took their chocolate with little complaint. And Harry made sure that Hermione was the one to explain everything to Ron when he woke up.

"It's not fair how I missed all that," Ron complained.

"Think of it as Hermione making up for her Petrification last year," Allen responded before sitting up. "Is your leg still broken, Ron? You really should let me heal it."

* * *

Sirius could be found resting his head on Harry's bedside the next morning. Allen smiled as he awaited Poppy's declaration that he was fine.

"You've always healed fast." She shook her head. "Of course someone with your luck would be immune to a werewolf bite."

"Am I free to go?"

He was a bit anxious considering on how he had lots to do. First was tease Kanda in the Great Hall, he's missed that. They'll probably end up in a brawl that would lose either of them points, meet Albus in his study and hope that he has his old deck of cards from the Black Order, then end up in the kitchens seeing if the elves would help him prepare dinner for the Ark, check on the company they had established decades ago that dealt with both wizards and human affairs...

Just thinking of doing all this work was depressing.

"You're free," she had said. Allen hopped off the bed.

"Thank you, Poppy." He paused for a moment before leaning over and shrugging Sirius' shoulder.

"Wha-?" went the sleepy man.

"Do you want to come get food from the Great Hall with me?" When Sirius grumbled something that sounded suspiciously like a no, he smiled. "It's because of me that you're free anyways. Come on, Sirius. You deserve _some_ entertainment."

The ravenette cracked an eyelid open and regarded Allen thoughtfully. Finally, he sighed and got up. Allen tilted his head. "Excellent."

And then the two of them were making their way down the hallway.

The Great Hall didn't know what to do when the convicted-murderer-turned-innocent-man appeared in the hallway. Sirius shuffled along behind Allen uncertainly as he approached the Hufflepuff table where Lavi and Lenalee were settled around Kanda.

"I was hoping to see you two as visitors this morning," he stated as he took a seat beside Lavi. Kanda glared when Sirius sat uncertainly by his side.

"Why did you bring _him_ here," he growled.

"Because he has to be hungry, BaKanda," Allen stated flippantly. "Surely you remember as well as I that it's difficult to eat properly when on the run."

Lenalee clapped her hand over her mouth as Lavi and Kanda froze. Then the Ravenclaw grinned broadly before pulling Allen into a hug and dug his fist into his snoey locks and twisted. "The Beansprout remembers!"

"Don't call me Beansprout," he scowled, pushing Lavi's hand away. "You and BaKanda are just freakishly tall."

"And you're just a Moyashi."

Sirius blinked when actual annoyance dotted on the Slytherin's face. "My _name_ is Allen, for the _millionth_ time."

"With your academics, I'm surprised that you can even count," Kanda sneered.

"I happen to get Outstandings on all my papers," Allen hissed. "I expect that _you_ get nothing but Trolls. It's quite fitting, actually."

"Say that again, Moyashi."

" _What,_ BaKanda? That you're smart enough to make it to a Troll? Or that you actually are one?"

Food went flying as Sirius was both startled and amused with their actions. He had seen Allen before as a Professor, meaning that he had to act a respectable way. But since he was a student... it was refreshing to see that he could sometimes act the age he appeared.

And those two managed to land themselves in McGonagall's office, covered in bruises, _again._

It was completely accidental when Allen crossed paths with Remus on his way to Albus. Accidental because this is not where nor when he planned it.

"Professor?" He frowned. "What are you doing?"

"I just resigned," Remus admitted. "What happened last night... Allen, I'm sorry. Truly."

"I'll be fine, Remus." Allen smiled reassuringly. "I've said this before but I'm immune to lycanthropy. A special family trait and all."

"Even still, if you weren't there..."

Allen stared at him for a moment before sighing. "Stay here one more night."

"All-"

"I have an job offer for you."

Remus gawked.

"I'm not the face of the company for obvious reasons but I did create it and own it with thirteen others. I do believe that Noah's Ark is well-known in both wizard and Muggle life."

"Wait, you're the owner of that?"

"Yes, and I've been thinking that I should allow werewolves to work in it. I've never dismissed them as long as they can do their job but most of them don't seem to realize that my company's arms are open. Equal pay depending on what branch they're working on. Muggle or magical, food or potions, apparel or spells." A fierce look appeared on his face. "As long as you do your job, it doesn't matter what you are. And I will happily provide Wolfsbane potion every month."

Remus stared at Allen for a moment before embracing him in a hug. The Slytherin returned it awkwardly. "It's only if you stay one more night... I've invited you to dinner with my family, the others that own it. And you might end up uncomfortable." He pulled away. "Would you be willing?"

"Of course I would."

"Excellent." He smiled. "I'll show you some magic that you've never seen before."

Remus looked interested.

"Oh, and what is the password to Albus' study?"

"Raspberry jam."

Allen thanked him and continued towards the location of the office. After giving the password, he continued up to the study and knocked on the door.

"Come in."

He pushed it open to find Albus standing near the window.

"Allen," Albus had commented as he turned to face him. A smile was presented on his face. "How good it is to see you."

"And you as well, Albus." His silver gaze flickered around the room. "Have you got my cards?"

"Yes, of course. Right here." The old man pulled out a stack of cards from nowhere. It was tied tightly with a rubber band and had some bloodstains on them that Allen could see from where he stood. Then again, his eyes were better than most. "When Remus had come to me after the exams yesterday saying that you have gone running off into the woods, I had assumed that you would have arrived sooner for these cards."

Albus tossed the deck to Allen, who caught it one-handedly. "But these aren't the only reason you have come, is it?"

"Harry..." he narrowed his eyes. "He has a piece of Tom's soul in him. I had seen glimpses of it the last two years during their confrontation. He's an unintended Horcrux."

"...Yes," Albus admitted. "That's true."

"And the only way to get rid of a Horcrux is to destroy it."

"Yes. And to do so, Harry's must be done by Voldemort's own hand. His soul has become a part of Harry and resided in him for over a decade, Allen. I'm afraid that your Innocence might kill him."

"I'm aware. Harry isn't an Akuma. It's just..." He grit his teeth. "You'll be sending him to his death. And I promised Lily and James that I would look after him."

"Harry is a very willful individual," Albus admitted. "When he held onto Quirrel, he should have died that night and yet it was simply his will that allowed him to cling to life. I doubt that Harry will die in the final confrontation with Voldemort. He needs preparation."

"Do you even have an idea where his Horcruxes are?"

"No, which is why I have not begun preparing him. I'm currently trying to track down one of them but it's proven it's difficulties."

"And you'll hand the Horcrux over to me, yes?" Allen narrowed his eyes. "My life won't suffer from it."

"Of course." Albus' lips twitched in amusement. "Only a creature whom embodies darkness remains unaffected by the corruption of the Dark Arts." Allen's lips twitched. "It never fails to surprise me on how you try to walk in the Light when your essence is Dark. I know it must be difficult."

"It's the one thing that keeps me human," he responded bitterly.

* * *

Allen cherished the astounded look in Remus' face when he watched the Slytherin create an Ark Gate in the kitchen. The elves, having used it a few times long before, happily went scurrying inside. It took Remus a bit of prodding to enter but he did so gratefully. Then he found himself in a large white area surrounded by sky with a long table set in the center. He took a look around while Allen helped the elves put the food where he thought it was best. Timcanpy flapped around in the air rather happily.

"You might want to be prepared to duck during dinner," Allen called as Remus gaped at the white city at the edge of the platform. "There's usually someone who might start up food fights."

"R-right." The wizard stated before hurrying back over to Allen, who held a fist to his chin as he looked over the foods' positions. "Where are we?"

"The Ark," he responded casually. After a moment, he gave a nod, seeming satisfied with the table, before thanking the elves and turning back to Remus. "A separate pocket of dimension."

"How does that work?"

"I have no idea. It existed long before I inherited it."

"You came!" Remus became startled when Road leaped at Allen from seemingly nowhere and nearly knocked him over.

He smiled. "Of course. I said that we would have our reunion."

"Oh and you brought the werewolf." Road got off Allen and inspected him. "He looks a lot better human."

Remus however, was confused. "You're the girl with the candles?" He motioned to her. "But you look... different."

"Of course I do." She giggled as she clung to Allen. "This is our home. I don't _need_ to look human. And Allen, you don't need to either."

"Cheater Boy never liked his Noah form," a new voice had said. Eyes turned to a male with the same gray skin and black hair with gold eyes and cross-like markings aligning his forehead walking up to them. "Just accept it, Road."

"Tyki," Allen greeted.

The man motioned over to Remus with a cigarette in his hand. "Whose this?"

"One of my old students and friend. Werewolves are often looked down upon in the Wizarding world so I thought that I'd offer him a job."

"You're aware that about ninety-three percent of our company _is_ made up of witches and wizards, yes? We'll lose some employees if we began to hire werewolves, vampires, and any other creature."

"Then that's their problem." Allen's tone had become cold. "We have no need for prejudice views and I will hire who I please."

"Well I certainly missed your amusing presence, Cheater Boy."

More people had arrived and Allen patiently waited until they were all there and sitting before starting. Remus sat in an empty seat as he glanced around. Allen had said that he and thirteen others had made the company, which means that there should be fourteen people. Not including himself, Remus counted ten.

"Ah, it's difficult to explain," Allen responded with a chuckle. Then his eyes seemed to focus on the table. "Our number has dropped permanently by one though."

The entire table had gone silent.

"Right, I should introduce you, Remus. You've met Road and Tyki, there's Sheryl, twins Jasdero and Devit, Wisely, don't be alarmed if he reads your mind; we can't get him to stop."

"Hey!" went the mentioned person.

"Lulu-Bell, Lyssa's somewhat new - Yes, it's good to see you again. And you must be our latest addition." Allen's smiled as his attention drifted from a woman in her mid-twenties with curly black hair to a black-haired kid whose chin was tucked to his chest and he stared creepily at Allen. "Do you prefer Feedler or would you like to go by your human name?"

"...Erra," the boy stated before his creepy stare drifted to Remus. He shivered. The boy looked no older than twelve.

"Welcome to the family, Erra. I assume that you've been informed on what is and isn't tolerated here?"

The boy slowly nodded. All of them, though of obvious ethnicities, had the same gray skin, the same gold eyes, and the same black hair, save for Wisely. And Allen didn't even look anything like them but Tyki's implication gave Remus thought that he could if he wanted to.

"Anyways, I have some plans for the company." Allen motioned off-handedly towards Remus. "Mr. Remus Lupin is a werewolf."

The male flinched at the suddenness of his comment. He had expected that to happen certainly, but not so soon. But what was really surprising was how... _little_ these gray-skinned people seem to care. They were curious on where Allen, who seemed to be the leader despite his younger-looking age, was going with this.

"I'm going to post an advertisement saying that we will be able to hire werewolves. Their payment would be the same as any other human or wizard we've hired and I myself will concoct a potion for them. The privacy of our employees is important so do _not_ give them any information pertaining to who is or isn't a werewolf. Now Tyki has already mentioned to me that there will be some who decide to leave because of this."

"Who cares," Wisely stated boredly. "It means less humans to watch. What _I_ want to know is where you've been these past years."

"...An orphanage. With Nuns."

All gazes seem to sharpen and Remus found himself trying not to gulp.

"They didn't treat you badly, did they," Road demanded. Her tone became harsh and less childish. "We know exactly how they think of your scar. If they hurt you-"

"They hadn't, Road." Allen waved her off. "Or they hadn't been able to try. The Headmistress is a very kind person. She's been making sure that they didn't attempt to... _save_ me or anything." He was quiet for a moment. "I'm going to stay there for the summer."

"This is surprising even for you," Sheryl commented. "Why are you going to return?"

"Because during my absence, my memories were suppressed. I admit, I didn't want to remember them and I shared those fears with her. She's been taking care of me all this time and I refuse to repay her by leaving without a word." Allen clapped his hands together with a cheery smile. "Now that we got all this business talk out of the way, how about we dig into our meal before it gets cold?"

Everyone had given a murmur of agreement and then silverware clattered as they were picked up. There was even some playful banter at the table here and there which was not unwelcome for Remus, even though he had no idea what was going on. Allen meanwhile, was staring at the empty chairs in thought.

 _It would be a shame if Erra or Lyssa decided to start killing humans... I'd hate to have to wait for them to reincarnate again._ He frowned as Timcanpy also began eating the food. _On the other hand, Tryde, Mightra, or Mercym should be appearing soon._

Allen was jerked out of his thoughts when Jasdero sent food flying into Lyssa's face. Her soft features instantly became demonic and she retaliated by checking a handful of greenbeans back. Jasdero slipped away but Devit wasn't so lucky. Soon, the entire table was sending food flying back and forth. Remus didn't know how to respond but when he glanced over at Allen, he saw the male laughing. And this laughter was more light and free than any other he'd seen him emit. Then a spoonful of mashed potatoes hit Allen right in his face.

His laughter abruptly cut off and the table stilled. The potatoes slowly slid down Allen's cheek until it splattered onto the table.

"Remus," he began slowly. "Either duck or join in."

"What?"

He didn't need to wait for an answer for Allen had quickly grabbed the large ham by his side and threw it over the table. Tyki, who was busy eyeing Remus with a strange expression as he puffed on his cigarette, turned just in time for the ham to collide into his face. Tyki began choking as his cigarette was mysteriously missing and he was clutching his throat.

Then the food battle started once more and Timcanoy was darting through the air, snapping at the morsels until a glob of jelly pinned him to the ground. With a grin growing on Remus' lips, he grabbed a pan of pie that was by his side and shoved it into Allen's face.

When he later left the Gate covered in head to toe with food, him and Allen departed into the hallway.

"What the bloody hell happened to you," Draco demanded as he watched Allen enter the Commons.

"...A particularly nasty foodfight," he responded before walking off to the showers with a jello-covered Tim struggling to stay airborne behind him.

* * *

Allen managed to answer some of Hermione's questions, like how Road was connected to him, some things about his amnesiac state and who he really was. That she was family, that his memories didn'tt change much, and...

"I'm your friend just like I've always been," he stated.

She tried asking about how he knew of Sirius and Remus but he shook his head. "You've already recieved a lot of information. I'll tell you if you come across more proof."

She had tried getting information from Sirius but he merely shook his head. "It's Allen's story to tell."

She was frustrated.

They boarded the train. Allen found himself sitting with Neville and Luna like he always did. Timcanpy was settled on his head when the door to the compartment opened and Lenalee came asking if they could sit. Her, Lavi, and Kanda took their seats and both Allen and Kanda seemed to have a mutual agreement not to ruin the ride by talking to each other.

"Do you think you can come over during the summer," Luna asked.

"I'll have to see if I'm busy," he admitted. "I'm expecting Sirius to ask me to help get things ready for Harry to move in with him. If I'm correct, it might be at the station." He looked at Neville. "Do you want an early start on your summer homework?"

"That might be for the best," he admitted.

The ex-Exorcists were surprised by how well Allen was explaining the problem to the Gryffindor.

When the station pulled into Kings' Cross, he was right when Sirius pulled him over.

"Harry wants to move in immediately," he said. "So I'm going to stop by the Dursleys to gather his things. Do you think that you could help us fix up the House of Black? It must be dusty..."

"Of course, Sirius. I'll be there tomorrow. I've set a Gate up there a long time ago."

"Yeah, okay, a- wait, a Gate?"

Allen smiled as he nodded to a fat man waiting on the platform. "Those are the worst Muggles I've ever come across. _Try_ not to kill them. Then again, you were a convicted murderer so maybe they'll hold their tongue better with you."

"They should hope so." Sirius winked at him. "Professor."

Allen rolled his eyes good-naturally before approaching the Weasley's parents. "Arthur, Molly, have a good summer. If you ever need money for another vacation, you know that you're always free to send me an owl."

"Oh, Allen," Molly sobbed as she threw her arms around him and got him in a hug. "It's so glad to see that you're you again."

"It's good to be me again," he admitted. Bad memories and all. After he pulled away from the Weasleys, he came across Meredith who was waiting patiently as always.

"Hello, Meredith." Allen gave her a smile. "There's a lot we need to talk about."

* * *

 _ **So... words cannot express how sorry I am for how delayed this chapter is. And I apologize sooo much. I was working on it but then I reread all the other chapters and felt like I could have done better so... Everything but Chapter I had been deleted and rewritten. Ha... yeah... Oh! And I decided to add parts of Allen's teaching past and so on on the top since I sincerely doubt that I would be able to find any use of them in the actual story.**_

 _ **~MillenniaPhoenix - I'm sorry for worrying you. Before I decided to rewrite this story, I was in a bit of a creative slump with everything. I didn't write, didn't touch my TV, read a few books but not as much as I usually do. I just spent a majority of the month off of technology. Then I decided that I disliked how I did some of the chapters and after a week of rewriting, voila! And thank you SO MUCH for enjoying it!**_

 _ **~allenfan - Thank you! And yes, the other Noahs have appeared. Lyssa and Erra are alright... I didn't even think of adding in a Feedler and Wratha Noah until I realized that the author hadn't replaced Skinn Bolic and it would be odd if all of them remained. So Mightra, Mercym, and Tryde will end up reincarnating and I think I have an idea of who to use.**_

 _ **I also want to give a BIG thank you to NightshadeAlpha for their fanart! I simply love it to pieces and am touched that my writing helped inspire it. A million thanks to you! I used it as the cover for this crossover. :D  
**_

 _ **And before I forget; which I sorta did... ._. Allen is 154 years of age. That makes him 42 years older than Albus. :O  
**_

 _ **I was also wondering if after I finish the Harry Potter series, if you'd like for me to try making a crossover with other parts of the Potter lore. Like the Grindelwald movies, maybe throw him into the Cursed Child story, and have him play a part in that Hogwarts: A Mystery game.**_

 _ **~Neah-D-Campbell1 - J'espè** **re que ce chapitre vous convient!**_

 _ **~Guest - Gracias!**_

 _ **~Shinichi - Is this satisfying?**_

 _ **~Lostand Drowned/HUNGRYFeedMe - Thank you two~ You make me want to tease you~.**_

 _ **~SheuOgama - XD Thank you! And it was completely unintentional by the way. I just figured that if someone had a past like Allen's (or Kanda's. Or Lenalee's), they wouldn't**_ **want _to remember. It wasn't until after that I did realize the connection it had with Allen's Noahfication._**


	9. Chapter IX (vers 1)

"Once a soul is split, it's usually for one reason."

"And what reason is that, Professor?"

"Immortality."

"Immortality, sir?"

"Yes, Tom. They cannot be killed nor die unless the object or creature they put their soul in is destroyed. You would have expected many to tear their soul apart to stay alive, wouldn't you?"

"..."

"To create a Horcrux is to commit the most evilest act of all: murder in cold blood. The creator may become immortal but they also start looking more monstrous. And their soul, once the Horcrux is destroyed, becomes no more. The person who created it is left only with the remaining soul they have left and if they were to die... the soul they have left is gone."

"And what you mean by gone..."

"It's completely destroyed. It can't become a ghost and if there is an afterlife, it can't move on to it because it will no longer exist."

* * *

The pile of dust Meredith had managed to sweep up was unbelievable. Twelve years, even under the maintenance of an elderly house elf, ended up with her taking three dustbin-filled piles to the trashcan. Over the summer, she and Allen had been walking through a bright light (it looked like fragmented glass) that the latter called an Ark Gate to help a man named Sirius clean what he called "The House of Black". Sirius was a man with black hair and striking gray eyes a couple shades darker than Allen's (when he was in a good mood). She suspected that he might even be handsome, had he not been wrongfully trapped in what her charge had stated to be "the most horrid imprisonment one could be suspected to". He was an amusing man.

And her charge, Allen. He had informed her at the beginning of summer that he had regained his old memories. He was the same but different, in many senses. There was a weariness in his eyes, a haunting look, that dimmed the innocence that use to shine so brightly. He was more careful with his expressions and how he portrayed himself than he usually was.

And his family.

Meredith had gotten to meet them. When she asked if they were blood related, he responded with a no. That a gene somehow _brought_ them all together. And they indeed did _not_ look like family. All of them were different ethnicities. Portuguese, French, Egyptian, American, Greek. When they greeted her, they seemed... bored. Save for the twelve-year old boy who had been eyeing her across the table in a way that sent goosebumps moving down her arms.

"Harry had a nightmare last night," Sirius informed after the ravenette had gone trapaising up the stairs to his new room. "His scar was hurting."

"What was the nightmare about," Allen had asked from where he was placing the books on the shelves. Another difference that had come with him. Allen's fringe swept over his face, allowing the scar to be seen. And although he still covered his hands in gloves when in public, he didn't do so anymore when inside an area with people he was familiar with.

"Voldemort."

Meredith furrowed her brows together as she quietly swept. Voldemort was suppose to be a Dark wizard. One of the worst who wished to stamp out or enslave Muggles.

"Just him?"

"No." Sirius' lips twitched into a scowl. "Peter. He was assisting Voldemort. They killed one of the Ministry's witches; Bertha Jorkins, and are planning something with Harry _after_ the Quidditch World Cup."

"After... so Tom is making plans..." Allen hummed thoughtfully. He glanced around before spying his golem lazing around on the table. "Go inform Albus of this, Tim."

The golem flapped his wings in acknowledgement before taking off through an open window. Sirius and Meredith watched him leave for a moment before the former turned to Allen. The older person had strode across the room to reach another stack of books.

"How's Buckbeak?"

"Buckbeak? He's fine. Road thinks he's a great pet. I'm a little surprise that you didn't want him, Sirius. I almost wish you would had; he's quite fond of atracking Jasdevi. I have to threaten those two all the time not to hurt him."

"I've met Road and Tyki before," Sirius stated dryly. "I don't think that I want to be introduced to other members of your family."

"No? That's a shame. I believe that you and Lyssa might have gotten along swimmingly."

Allen had gotten back to the bookshelf when Harry's feet on the stairs reached Meredith. The boy came in with excitement on his face, as though he had realized something.

"Allen," he began with a grin. "I was wondering if you could teach me some Dark Arts."

 _Thud._

The book Allen was about to put up slid from his hand and hit the wooden floor loudly. At the same time, Sirius tensed and snapped his attention over to Harry. Their voices were nearly in sync when they both determindedly went, " _No._ "

"What?" Meredith was surprised to see how quickly the bright light was dashed from Harry's face. "Why not?"

"Because..." The white-haired male reached down to pick up the book he had gotten. When he rised, Meredith noted the way his brows slightly moved together and his lips twitched downwards into what was nearly a frown. "The Dark Arts is a type of magic that slowly taints a person. The more you use it, the more you sink. The _faster_ you sink."

"You were the Dark Arts teacher and you're fine," Harry persisted.

"That's because _I_ have God's holy crystal in my arm, Harry." That, he sounded bitter about. "And the fact that I literally embody darkness. _Voldemort_ went chasing Dark magic and look where it got him! Bodiless, powerless, and an echo of his former self. Not to mention that every wizard or witch I had personally taught are dead, in Azkaban, or living their normal lives like cowards."

"I'm not Voldemort," Harry responded coldly.

Allen stared at him for a long time. Sirius and Meredith almost didn't dare to speak.

"No," he finally said after a few moments of silence. "You're not. Very well, if you're so insistant."

"Allen..." went Sirius.

"Don't Allen me." The male shifted his gray gaze over to him. "If he so wishes, then I will do it. But I _will_ start out with the Unforgivable Curses."

Sirius paled at the thought.

"Yes, the Imperius Curse would be the best one to let Harry see exactly what it feels like to to use the other two." Meredith looked worriedly at the sharp smile Allen had adorning his face. "But before we start, I want Harry to take care of a little creature for me. If he takes care of it well enough by the time we return to the Weasleys from the World Cup, I'll take us somewhere that we can practice."

"That's a little cruel." Harry glanced at Sirius with a frown when his godfather spoke. "Even for you."

Allen's tone had become cold. "Cruel would be allowing him to continue with following the Dark Arts until it consumes him. To use it's magic, one must constantly deprive themselves of their humanity. He will have to see firsthand _exactly_ what that feels like."

Meredith, who was wanting a change of subject, glanced back at Harry and was glad to see that he looked the same. So fishing in her memory for something to use, a smile painted her lips as she found something.

"Allen?"

She patiently waited until he looked at her to set the broom down. "I was wondering... what World Cup have you been asking me to go with you to"

His expression brightened immediately. "Oh, that's right. It has to deal with Quidditch, a sport wizards and witches play while riding on brooms. The Quidditch World Cup is the hype of the season. I believe it's Ireland and Bulgaria that are playing. The game itself is interesting but all those poor folk who would be willing to bet and gamble..."

A dark smile flashed across his face so quickly, that Meredith had to blink and ask herself if she actually saw it. "Events like this are always a good way to earn money."

...She regretted asking.

* * *

A day later and Allen had finally managed to convince Meredith to come with him and Timcanpy to the Burrow. He had been asking her all month, wanting her to get a slice of wizard life. He had demonstrated some magic to her at the St. Vincent's and she was in awe. And her eyes misted over with delight every time he opened a Gate to get to Sirius'. He was happy to see that she got along quickly with Molly and both women chatted to their hearts' content. And then there was Sirius enjoying a conversation with Arthur.

"What kind of magic is that," Hermione asked Allen greedily after she had seen the Gate close.

"It's a sort of transportation my relatives had set up," he admitted. "It beats the average way of wizard travel." Or any travel, really. After a brief glance around, Allen spotted Harry. "Ah, there you are!" He handed him the rabbit that he had been holding in his hands. "This here is Periwinkle. I got her at the end of school. I want you to take care of her. _Only_ you."

He had actually gotten the rabbit yesterday at Diagon Alley. It was an average rabbit with her white fur spelled to a color between a pale violet and a pale blue. Harry wasn't the sort to call off learning so he didn't ask questions about it... Yet.

Allen got to see Bill and Charlie once more, the elder two of the Weasley brothers. He had found them a delight to teach back when he was a teacher.

"It's strange seeing you as a student instead of a professor," Bill commented.

"Yes well, now I can punch annoying students at my leisure," he jokingly responded back.

After that, Allen could be found in the kitchen helping out with the food. He had told Timcanpy to go watch Harry, Ron, and Hermione for him then he heard Molly complaining about her children.

"-if it's not one, it's the other starting something and it grinds my nerves."

"I know what you mean," Meredith responded with a smile. "I watch over at least forty or so kids. At least I have some others willing to help me out but... well, our eyes aren't everywhere you know."

"Forty?" Some food went flying around the kitchen and into some pots. "I don't know how you do it, Miss McClaine."

"Please Molly, call me Meredith."

Allen smiled when he saw the surprise on Molly's face. Then the door to the Burrow flew open as a loud voice filled the area.

"I'm _home_ "

Lavi _,_ he figured, smiling wryly as he turned his attention to the door. Sure enough, the redhead was there, his bandana dismissed and his dark red locks spilling messily over the right side of his head. His emerald eye fell on Allen and his smile widened.

"Beansprout! To think that you would be here."

"Lavi..." Allen's tone implied that he was going to be losing his patience. "You know as well as I do that my name is _Allen._ "

"Yeah, but I just wanted to tease you."

He was seriously debating hexing Lavi right now.

" _Lavi!_ " Both Fred and George appeared and slung their arms happily around his neck.

"Didn't think that you would be coming."

"We know how Lionell is."

"Hardly lets you outta his sight."

"Yes well, my dear old dad thought that I might as well go since you guys got the tickets."

"Lavi, were you a part of the Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes?" Molly had paused her cookies to rest her hands on her hips as she looked at the ex-Exorcist. Lavi paused for a moment as his smile faltered and he shook his head.

"No, Mrs. Weasley. If I was, my name would have been on it."

 _Lies,_ Allen thought.

Molly shook her head and the three went scampering away. After a moment of thinking, Allen told the two women that he won't be able to finish cutting the onions and hurried after the three redheads.

"Allen?" Fred was surprised when he reached them just before they went into what Allen speculated to be their room.

"What are Weasley's Wizard Wheezes?"

Their faces shifted into one of delight as they all glanced at each other. Lavi especially, which meant that he had lied to Molly. How wasn't he a Wealsey?

"It's a joke shop we're planning. We've been developing goods. Ton-Tongue Toffees that enlarge tongue, Canary Cakes that temporarily Transfigure a person into a bird, and so forth and so on."

"The only problem is getting the money for the materials," George added.

"Seeing as the three of us are poor..."

"Hm..." Allen folded his hands behind his back as he smiled. "And if I were to help you get these materials?"

"You don't have to," Lavi commented. "You probably don't have enough mone-"

"I have enough gold in my vault to take care of half a town, Lavi. I could have helped the Weasleys with their finance troubles but Molly and Arthur insist that I don't need to. If I can help you guys start a shop, I'd be more than happy to help. And after that..." Allen glanced at the twins. "Noah's Ark would be more than happy to fund it."

Lavi's jaw dropped as Fred and George glanced at each other incredulously.

"Noah's Ark," Fred asked in disbelief. " _The_ Noah's Ark? You know someone in it that might fund us?"

"...That's me, Fred." Allen sighed. "I'm one of the bosses in it."

Stares. That's all he had gotten in turn. Just stares of disbelief. Allen pinched the bridge of his nose before looking at Lavi meaningfully. "It was _founded_ in 1865. And I'm not exactly what one would call a 'forgetful' face."

Comprehension dawned on Lavi. He didn't know of Allen's immortality but knowing the Bookman and the implication given, he might think that Allen used his face and memories to get him back up on high the rung. Which... was sort of true? If one didn't count the Noah family themselves and his involvement with them.

"Will you give us a tour of the company one of these days," the redhead asked curiously.

"Yes but it will more likely need to happen next summer, given how this one is nearing it's end." Allen smiled. "I will help with the money of the materials myself as well. There's not a shop yet for Noah's Ark to fund."

The rest of the day went on merrily. Everyone ate outside, Allen got to watch Bill and Charlie slam the tables together, Hermione's cat chased gnomes through the yard, Timcanpy ate Sirius' food. But when they all laid down and quiet pervaded Allen's ears, he scowled at the dark ceiling as he heard small voices in the back of his head. It wasn't like when he lost his memories and they whispered in his mind, nor was it like Neah speaking to him. They were another force from the outside collectively speaking, crying, in his head. All of them were muted enough to inform Allen that whoever it was that lost someone, they were a good distance away.

Even still, it buzzed in his skull like an angry bee and as he tossed over on his side to see Tim sleeping happily on his pillow. He wished that there was some sort of noise to drown it out.

* * *

Allen had woken a couple hours earlier than anyone in the house. The reason why was so that he may exercise peacefully before anyone had woken up. He must've gotten too lost in the routine, as what he heard next was a yelp (loud to his ears) before Allen himself went crashing to the floor.

"S-sorry," Arthur went, his ears bright red as he rushed forward and held his hand out. "I had forgotten that you do that."

"Yes, I believe I might forget a minor detail like that as well if I hadn't seen a person in about twelve years." Allen accepted his hand gratefully and was pulled to his seat. He frowned when he noticed that the chair he had been balancing on had lost a leg. " _Repairo._ "

Arthur watched as the leg reattached good as new. "You can do magic outside of school?"

"When Moldy attacked me-" The Weasley couldn't help but smile at Voldemort's nickname "-it merely reversed my body although every scar I had ever recieved is still on me. I wasn't reincarnated or anything, which means my hundred and so years went on. So yes, I can do magic outside of school without a Trace." He glanced up at the staircase. "I don't want the kids to know though. Being underestimated is an advantage I would like to have."

Arthur nodded as Molly came down with a look of concern. Shortly after was Sirius. "What was that loud crash?"

"Ah, sorry Molly." Allen's cheeks dusted pink as he rubbed his upper lip in embarrassment. "I might have fallen."

Sirius barked out a loud laughter that added annoyance to his embarrassment. Allen shot him a glare, to which the man ignored.

Shortly after that, Allen pulled on his shirt while Molly had gone to wake everyone up. Meredith was the first to come down, her hair in a morning nest that she was trying to feverishly tame.

"Oh, I'll finish this in a second," she sighed, taking a seat at the table. Her silver brush was still holding onto the knots in her hair.

"Would you like some help," Sirius questioned uncertainly. After a moment's hesitation, she nodded. The man slowly approached before gingerly running the brush through her locks.

"The pressure you're using isn't going to get the job done," Meredith commented. "Put more muscle into it."

Allen shook his head as Sirius did just that. While the ravenette was busy with the brush, he pulled out his wand.

"What are you doing," she asked while Sirius was focused on the task at hand.

"The Quidditch World Cup has precautions in place to prevent Muggles from going or entering the Cup. I have to cast charms to protect you."

"Muggles aren't allowed?" Alarm lit on her face when Allen nodded. "Why didn't you tell me this before I agreed?"

"It was because I knew you wouldn't come." He wordlessly began casting protection spells. "Muggles and wizards are alike in many ways but their genetic make up is slightly different, making Muggles to be easily more suspectable to magic. I'll also be lending you my wand for appearances just in case but I utterly doubt the _Ministry_ will refuse whoever I bring to the World Cup with me."

"Don't you need that?"

"Meredith, I'm quite potent at wandless and wordless magic. Not only that, I have a few... abilities that help me out otherwise."

When he was done with the charms, Allen set his wand on the table in front of Meredith. A glance at Sirius, whose brows were furrowed as he was halfway through brushing here hair, made Allen smile faintly at the look of concetration he had.

Then Ron and Harry came down the stairs. Harry eyed Sirius and Meredith curiously as the brushing went on but all eyes then fell to Ron as Allen scooted a chair back to sit in a chair and he cried out in surprise.

"Mate, your hand is _black._ "

A quick glance told Allen that he had forgotten to pull on his gloves. He sheepishly rubbed the back of his head with his left hand as Harry's eyes tracked it as well. "Yes, it's always been like that."

"Always? Did someone curse you?"

"Ah, now that you mention it, yes. A long time ago but none of that matters. If it helps, just think of it as an expensive tattoo. Most people tend to believe that."

The morning was full of hustle and bustle as everyone moved about. Meredith's hair was wavy once more when they all managed to depart from Molly at the Burrow and head towards Stoutshead Hill. Allen and Timcanpy lingered beside an upbeat Lavi as they walked.

"Will BaKanda and Lenalee be there," he inquired softly.

"Yuu couldn't afford tickets so he isn't coming. Lenalee is but I doubt that we would see her. She find Quidditch...relaxing. Even without her Dark Boots, she likes flying. Leisurely, I mean." He smirked. "You know, you and Kanda should have one final sparring match. It's his last year at Hogwarts and I can tell that he missed the two of you beating each other up."

"We didn't _beat_ each other up," Allen mumbled back.

"So all those bruises and broken bones came from ghosts?"

"..."

Lavi sighed. "Yuu's going to try becoming an Auror. And I think I just might too, in a couple of years." Allen shot him a surprised look. "Why are you staring at me like that? Any _safe_ life we might have had disappeared when we put on that Hat. And I _know_ that you must be missing the adrenaline rush of battle as well. You were the most driven Exorcist I had ever seen."

They all were... but Lavi had a point. The second official mission he had been on with Lenalee almost killed him because he was trying to kill an Akuma before it detonated. And when he had lost his left arm to Tyki, he still tried leaving the Asian Branch to kill Akuma or die doing it. Because it was the only life he had...

And it still was to a point. Allen might have all these friends, a family, but there was still a sort of emptiness in him that had been there since the Holy War ended.

Maybe this time... He'll wander the world like he use to. Even with the threat of human despair eating at his sanity. Or perhaps he would become an Auror or some sort of wizard bounty hunter. Maybe...

They made it to the Hill and Allen saw that they weren't the only ones. A Ministry of Magic employee, Amos Diggory, was there with the Hufflepuff Seeker, Cedric.

"It's good to see you, Allen," he greeted, despite not sounding too happy.

"Hello, Amos," he politely responded back. Yes, everyone in the Ministry might have an idea on what he thinks about their government. While his help from time to time was something they would come to him before was useful, they didn't like him in the slightest. He glanced around. "Will it just be the three of us?"

"Yes. The Lovegoods had gone a week early and the Flawcetts weren't able to get tickets, so it'll just be us." Amos casted a wary glance at Sirius.

"Don't worry about him." Allen's tone turned cheery. "Sirius is harmless."

"Right..." was the dry response. As though Amos couldn't believe that a man falsely accused of murder and spent twelve years in Azkaban were _harmless._

Hm... Allen was beginning to think that his idea on harmless was probably just a skewered as Hagrid's on magical creatures.

"It's nearly time," Arthur had stated after glancing at his watch. "Alright, everybody touch the shoe. A finger should do."

Allen was glad the Meredith chose to be on one side of him so that he can mumble to her as he shoved Tim into his pocket. "You might want to bend your knees. The landing is going to be rough."

She barely opened her mouth to ask why before the Portkey activated.

Allen always hated wizard travel. There was always some quirk to it. Floo travel had soot and spinning, Appartition had an unpleasant sensation as though he was being squeezed through a dark tube, Portkeys felt like he was in the midst of a violent tornado that couldn't yet kill him.

That's one of the reasons why he liked the Ark when dealing with instantaneous travel.

Allen's feet hit the ground and he nearly buckled. Then he immediately turned to Meredith and grabbed her arm to steady her. He wasn't the only one, with Sirius on the other side doing the same. Lavi, Fred, George, Ron, Hermione, and Harry all fell.

"I think I like your way of traveling better," Meredith moaned as she regained her footing and her hands flew to her hair, which was as messy as it had been earlier.

"As do I," Sirius grunted.

The large group wandered past tents to find a Muggle by the name of Mr. Roberts. He became suspicious enough for a Ministry wizard to come by and Obliviate him.

" _Oh,_ " Meredith went sharply as he walked off.

"Are you sure that it was right to bring a Muggle here," Lavi asked quietly.

"She'll be fine." They walked to their saved plot. Sirius could be heard laughing at the error of the name on the same, given how they spelled Weasley as _Weezly_. "I've made sure of it."

They all pitched in to set up the tents. The magic-raised people were completely useless in this task. Then again, it wasn't as though Lavi and Allen were any help. Their past lives and current ones had little, if at all, camping experiance. Before, they had stayed at the Black Order or at various inns. Sometimes they would sleep under the stars, if need be. And now there was Hogwarts, Lavi's home, and Allen's Ark.

"Shouldn't you know this," Lavi asked while Allen inspected a pole. Hermione and Harry were helping them with this tent. "I thought you went camping around the world with Mana."

"Okay, first of all, Mana couldn't even _afford_ a tent," he retorted back with enough annoyance for the group to glance at him. Hermione gave a small start when she recognized the name spoken. "And second of all, we travelled around _Britain._ I didn't start travelling the world until I met my stupid Master."

Everyone save for Lavi glanced at each other in astonishment. They all knew that Allen, if he found the need to, would find a way to make a snarky comment that one would be reeling from but none of them ever heard him flatout call someone _stupid._ Even _Kanda_ would have his intelligence insulted with a comment instead of a single word.

"Oh, _right._ " Lavi's tone was casual as a demonic glint shined in his eye. "You said that Cross doesn't age, yeah? How much debt do you think he'll send your way if he finds out about you?"

The Golden Trio watched, both concerned and fascinated as Allen's pale skin lost even more color. He was nearly as white as his hair.

And that's because Cross Marian _was_ alive. How could Allen have forgotten those debts? How high have they piled up over the past twelve years? He was usually on top of those things, so as to avoid stuff like this.

"I-is he okay," Meredith asked worriedly as he started swaying. And her worry grew when he began muttering "debts" in a repetitive pattern.

"He'll be fine," Lavi commented as he took the pole from Allen's hand and observed it. Timcanpy settled on his master's lap but Allen was too lost in calculating just how _much_ debt could have possibly accumulated. He glanced over at Meredith. "He told about things... _before_ the orphanage, right?"

She nodded.

"Well Allen had a teacher named Cross Marian. The only one _least_ capable of teaching children but I guess he did alright with Beansprout. Anyways, he always piled up debt and left it on Allen to take care of it. I bet he'd consider fifty Galleons pocket change. That would be about a thousand five-hundred guinea - Sorry, wrong currency." His brows knitted together as he thought. "Two-hundred and thirty something pounds, give or take."

" _That's_ pocket change," Hermione asked incredulously as she watched Allen continue to sway.

"To _him._ And I never did say that the debt was small." Lavi waved a pole. "Now hurry up before I say something that will make Black Allen appear."

A little later, when Ludo Bagman had come around asking if the Weasley group wanted to participate in a bet, a recovered Allen was far too quick to agree to it.

"I have a hundred Galleons on me," he stated as he began pulling out a pouch that contained some gold. Meredith frowned as she watched but didn't move to stop him. If he was going to catch up on debt, now was the time to do it. "I bet that not only will Ireland score first _and_ win the match but that Victor Krum would catch the Snitch."

Ludo laughed as he accepted the bet jovially. And Lavi, knowing that Allen wouldn't have betted unless he was dead certain, gave up his well-saved fourty for the same thing Then the Weasley twins also betted on that as well and Ludo walked off a little less joyously.

"There you are, Allen!"

He barely had a chance to see who called his name before porcelain arms wrapped around his neck. He spun around halfway to keep his balance before setting the person down. "R-Road?"

She smiled before her eyes caught sight of Lavi. "Well if it isn't Bookman Junior. Are you still cataloging history?"

"I didn't expect to see you," he responded stiffly.

"The same could be said for you~" She turned towards Allen. "Tyki guessed that you would be here. He's searching around for some small fries for the two of you to pick off after the game. He wants a tag-team effort so that he don't lose all his money to... well, you."

"Is it just you two who had come here?"

"Nope! Erra came along and Tyki's keep an eye on him. Wisely _wanted_ to come but all this _magic_ in one place gives him a headache. Everyone else is either tending to Noah's Ark or staying inside the Ark. Although..." She hummed. "I think Jasdevi went to go South America to see a band called Kiss."

"I jope that they don't cause too much trouble."

"Hold on, the _Ark,_ " Lavi hissed. "Allen, why is the _Noah_ here?"

"..." A quick glance around informed Allen that there was no way he would be able to quietly talk to his old comrade. "I'll tell you later."

Lavi glanced around, noticed some stares, and nodded. before backing up. Allen put on a smile as he motioned to the girl. "For those of you who don't know, this is Road Kamelot."

"Hello Meredith," she waved cheerfully. The woman waved back hesitantly but she smiled back nonetheless.

"Hello Road."

After that, everyone was hyped for the match. The Wealseys could hardly sit still on the prospect of the match, Lavi included. And it all started with amusement, given how Cornelius appeared in the Top Box with them talking to the Bulgarian Prime Minister. When Cornelius tried miming out everything he was saying, Allen translated, much to the surprise of everyone except for... Lavi and Road, of course. The Bulgarian Minister looked astonished as well before telling Allen in his language that he knew very well what Cornelius was saying and was enjoying how he was making a fool of himself.

So Allen refused to translate for Cornelius no matter how much he asked. Then there was the brief and tense welcoming of the Malfoys, to which Draco pointedly ignored Allen. He was probably doing it for Lucius benefit or from the punch he was given at the end of last year. Either way, Allen decided to act the same way.

Then the true fun started. The excitement of watching the opposing Quidditch teams fly through the air as they tossed the Quaffle back and forth, the Bludgers soaring towards their target, and no Snitch to be found. Meredith was as captivated as any other wizard and Allen enjoyed that look of amazement on her face. And when she had a question, she would turn towards Sirius and ask, who would then respond and she would be right back to watching the Quidditch game.

After that came the hours of verbal reruns from the group as they chatted excitedly. Allen excused himself so that both he and Road would go find Tyki. And they had, between the two encampments of Ireland and Bulgeria. Tyki grinned at him from where he sat, cigarette hanging from his lips as Erra hung back from the wizards and watched them. Some of them were obviously uncomfortable by his presence but, since he looked about twelve, no one said anything.

"I knew that you would show up, Allen," he commented as he shuffled the deck expertly in his hands. "Did you know that your gambling title, 'The White Demon' did not make its way to other countries. We're going to have to rectify that."

The foreign wizards shared glances with their teams as Allen sat at the tabke and gave a nod with an inmocent smile. "It looks that way."

* * *

Meredith was completely unaware that she had fallen asleep until Sirius was there waking her up.

"We need to leave. Now."

She blinked her eyes as she watched Sirius move on towards te other girls. She sat up and rubbed her eyes, dimly aware of the screaming outside. When it snapped into focus, she grabbed Allen's wand from her nightstand and headed outside.

Arthur had gotten the boys out from the other tent with a grave expression.

"Bill, Charlie, Arthur, and I are going to help the Ministry," Sirius informed as Ginny and Hermione followed him out. "The rest of you run for the forest. Is that understood? We'll find you when it's safe."

The children nodded and went running off towards the trees. Meredith's stomach did a flip when she noticed a family being levitated in the air. A _Muggle_ family. And the people below, hooded and masked, were _laughing._

"C'mon," Lavi grunted, grabbing Meredith by her wrist and pulling her after the children? That's right, she's a Muggle. She had no way to stand up to _magic._ Even these children stood a better chance than she did.

As they ran, Meredith did a headcount. Ginny, Hermione, Fred, Ron, George, Harry, Lavi... Allen was missing.

She dug her bare heels into the dirt, nearly making Lavi fall himself. "What the-?"

"Allen," she cried, turnng to look back at the chaos behind her. Harry even had that rabbit that had been leant him but Allen, and even Timcanpy, were absent.

"He's fine, lady. Trust me - Hey!"

Meredith wrenched her hand from the redhead's grasp. "I have to give him his wand. All of you guys keep going."

"Meredith!" Lavi had yelled when she went charging straight into danger.

Spells whipped over her head as she ran but all she could think of was Allen. He might be older, stronger, and probably more intelligent but he was _still_ hercharge. She refused to let one of her children be here in the midst of all this danger.

Then something hit her back and she was sent sprawling to the Earth. She barely had time to remember that Allen's wand was in her hand when her knuckles scraped the ground painfully.

"Look what we have here," a male spoke up. His voice was smooth. Oily. Disgusting. It sent chills down Meredith's spine as she pushed herself up enough to turn around and glare at the speaker. Like the other enemy wizards, this one was hooded and masked. "A Muggle. Should I help you fly like that family we caught? Or would you like to have a sort of... different fun?"

"As God is my witness..." She slowly got to her feet, her brown eyes narrowed. "You, filthy wizard, will be sent straight to Hell."

"Me? Filthy?" He laughed darkly. "No, I'm not like you, Muggle. _Crucio._ "

Unbelievable agony seemed to sprout up from Meredith's cells and a scream tore from her lips. She didn't notice that her legs had given out beneath her and her face hit the ground hard. She was unaware that her body was spasming out of control while the wizard laughed. It didn't matter because she was in _pain._ She was agony.

"Meredith!"

The lack of pain she felt hurt almost as much as the one she had recieved. Her eyes cracked open to briefly see something white flash by. There was a flash of black, a spray of something dark, and screaming. Then Allen was there, staring at her worriedly as he held her upright.

At first, Meredith didn't think it was him. Allen was pale and silver eyed. This person was darker with shining, gold eyes. A small, cross-like thing showed on the visible part of his forehead. He was covered in white. But it was Allen.

"I was wrong," she breathed in fascination as she placed a hand on his cheek. "I thought you were God's Child... But I think you're his angel."

There was a flinch that she ignored. He never did like God, she always knew that. But he _had_ to be an angel.

Allen's golden eyes narrowed. "What spell did that wizard use? Do you remember what he said?"

Meredith furrowed her brows as she contemplated. She could barely remember what _she_ said before the pain. "I think it was... cru...cio?"

Rage unlike anything she had ever seen made it's way onto Allen's face. She could feel his hands trembling from where they were holding her. His grip had turned firm, not enough to hurt her but enough to make her worry.

"Earl..."

Both of their attentiond drifted off to that boy Meredith had seen in that beautiful white city. The Ark. "What would you like for me to do?"

"Erra," Allen breathed. He looked from the kid to Meredith before letting her go and stood up. "Take her to the trees with the others. Keep them safe."

The boy nodded and helped Meredith to her feet. She caught sight of Allen's wand and picked it up. As they were about to walk off, Allen's voice made him stop.

"I've changed my mind for tonight." Meredith looked over to see Allen staring at the wizard struggling in white bonds that held him. It came from the white, glowing cloak Allen had on and she noticed a part of it was stained red. That was probably because the wizard's arm was laying uselessly on the ground. "If you come across any Death Eaters, get _rid_ of them."

Erra nodded and continued to oull Meredith away as she watched something purple flicker in Allen's right hand. "Hurry up, human. You don't want to see that. The Earl doesn't want you too either."

"...What's Allen going to do," she asked as she looked away.

"I haven't known him long..." he admitted. "But something tells me that the Earl doesn't like it when someone hurts something important to him."

 _No,_ she thought, as screams filled the air and a brief glance back only showed her a blinding purple. _He doesn't._..

* * *

Sleep did not come easy for anyone in the boys' tent. After the Death Eaters dispersed at the Dark Mark's appearance, everyone was on edge. It had taken them all a while to settle in bed and even then, Allen was pulling and stretching Timcanpy like there was no tomorrow. However, it wasn't because of the Death Eaters or the Dark Mark.

It was because of himself.

Killing was something Allen didn't like to do. Something he always tried to avoid. Because his Noah _reveled_ in it.

When the screams began and danger wanted to rear it's ugly head, his inner Noah was excited at the prospect of bloodshed and fear. It was, and still is, _starving_ for a meal. The entire event had been electrifying in so many ways and made his Noah Difficult to contain. Capturing people alive was always difficult. He had to be careful to reel himself in andit was exactly that cautiousness that let them get away.

But when Allen found out that they had used the Cruciatus Curse, that anger had nearly driven him. It was so hard keeping himself from accidentally hurting Meredith. It's why _he_ didn't escort her to safety. Because he was the most dangerous one. He wouldn't be able to forgive himself if he hurt Meredith.

But the man who hurt her was a different story.

Innocence saved peoples' soul. It sent them on to whatever afterlife there is. That wizard had hurt Meredith, someone he considered _family_ (because she _had_ been what he imagined a mother to be these last twelve years). He did not deserve salvation.

So Allen had to rely on Dark Matter to send his soul to damnation. It had been obliterated and will never exist again.

The Noah in him didn't like that. It wanted him to devour it. Like he had mentioned, it was starving.

Allen sighed softly as he finally let Timcanpy go. There would be no sleeping tonight, so why even bother? He slipped off his bunk and went pushing the tentopen to outside.

Road sat calmly be the tents. When Allen approached, it took him a moment to note that sleeping Erra's head was placed in her lap as she ran her fingers through his dark locks.

"I figured that you would still be awake." Allen smiled softly as she spoke and sat beside her. "You never could sleep after killing a human."

"He was someone who killed others," he responded quietly. "I don't feel guilty about killing but... that's why I feel guilty."

"You feel guilty about not feeling guilty of destroying a murderer?"

"The Mana I knew as a father... he didn't like violence, Road. He believed that violence created despair and despair creates Akuma." And empty smile was on his face. "He would probably be disappointed in me."

"But you don't know that for sure."

"...No." Allen sighed heavily. "I don't."

Road lingered by Allen's side until the dark sky began to light up. She prodded Erra awake so that they could leave.

"Bye, Earl," he mumbled as he walked through Road's door.

And then Allen was alone.

The wizards, witches, and Muggle in the tent all began to wake up and taint the air in a somber mood. Meredith's eyes looked as though she could barely stayed awake as they packed up their tents. Arthur sighed when he noticed a large group of people lurking near the Portkeys.

"Allen could create a Gate," Sirius spoke, making everyone glance at each other with a bit of a brighter light. Allen gave a nod a motioned in front of him, a Gate appearing in merely a split second thanks to his years of use. Lavi was the only one accustomed to the sight of the Gate and eyed Allen curiously before stepping through. Only when the Burrow was in sight and everyone was accounted for did Allen close it off.

Molly, who was sitting in front of the Burrow, had pulled Fred and George (who were still in awe about the Akr) into a hug.

"Would you like to head back to St. Vincents?" he asked quietly to Meredith.

"Yes, I probably should." Her smile was thin and weary as she held out his wand. "I believe that I have had enough magic for today."

He dully hummed in agreement, knowing that she had. He was careful to take the wand without any quick movements, unsure as to whether or not she was upset with how he handled last night's... situation.

So he summoned another Gate and waited for Meredith to go through. He was surprised when she went to hug him first. Then she ran her hand over Tim's wing, who had come to rest on his head.

"Thank you for sending that man to Hell." She leaned away and cupped his face. "You'll still visit me during the holidays, yes? Even if you won't live at the orphanage during the summer?"

"I will," he agreed, a soft and genuine smile growing on his face. He expected Meredith to give him the cold shoulder or something.

She pulled away from Allen and waved at Sirius before picking up her trunk and pulling it into the Gate behind her. Allen closed it before looking back at everyone else. Harry still had Periwinkle in his hands.

"Ah." Allen smiled a little. "We'll train in the middle of the afternoon. That might be enough to ensure that you don't throw up."

"Wait, what?" questioned Harry as Allen walked past. He paused momentarily in his steps.

"Just watch Periwinkle for several more hours."

Then Allen continued walking off. When Ron and Hermione glanced over at Harry, the ravenette shrugged in response.

* * *

 ** _I hope Erra's personality is alright. I think it fits for Feedler, whose Parasitic Tongue is creepy as hell. He's a little creepy himself, mostly silent, and always observing. He also has a short temper and tends to speak when he either has full confidence in his words, when he has to, or when he thinks his pride is wounded. I also have some ideas for the future Noah that have yet to reincarnate. And as for my two OC's (which I only created last moment for the book), their full names are Erra Otoug and Lyssa Sideris. T_T I need to fix my spelling errors in the previous chapter but I'll have to wait until I feel like that won't burn me out. My internet kept screwing up when I saved it so I had to rewrite that so many times... Nnngh._**

 ** _~MillenniaPhoenix - I do have a few ideas, yes. And I wonder what theories you would sprout up with after the chapters are posted. Thank you so much for sticking with it after about... a month worth of silence, I think?_**

 ** _~SheuOgama - Ooo! To think that those coincidences came from the fact I named them after Gods! Lyssa is the Greek Goddess of mad rage, frenzy, rabies, and the like. Erra is the Akkadian god of plague and mayhem. Also fitting for the two Noah, yes? And Otoug is a class of wicked spirits and Sideris means: may the child grow up to be as strong as iron._**

 ** _~snowsong - I've had people tell me that before on another story of mine. Yes, I did like it but I felt that it was too... rushed when I read over it. I'm glad that you like the way its going! And I dunno, I think Allen getting revenge would be difficult since it deals more with Voldemort. There's a nasty surprise that's going to come with him too. I feel bad that I killed Neah off from before I even started typing the story. Then I sit down, think of it for about three minutes, then shrug it off and keep writing. Wrong place, wrong time._**


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